Purebloods, Mudbloods and HalfBreeds
by Siri Lupin
Summary: Completled' Second story in the series. James, Sirius, Remus and Severus' second year at Hogwarts. Remus isn't the only one effected by the full moon. And who asks Nissa out first Sirius or Severus or will someone else beat them to it?
1. Second Home

Second Home  
  
Sirius Black had only been home for two days and was already wishing that the summer holidays were already over; he hated being home with his mother always on his back.  
  
Sirius was sat at the end of the kitchen table eating his bacon sandwich, but not enjoying it as he would normally do. His warm brown eyes looked pained and annoyed.  
  
"I still can't believe it." Bellatrix as was saying again, she had long black pulled back and was sat a couple of seats down from him with her two other sister's. "A Black in Gryffindor, its worst then you being in Ravenclaw!" She shot at her sister sat facing her.  
  
She looked up suddenly quit surprised that she hadn't been mentioned sooner then now, she had short bobbed brown hair and also looked annoyed at the conversation, and wanted to move down with Sirius but had already been warned to stay away from him; which she knew that he understand why she was staying away from him while they were around anyway.  
  
"Black's belong in Slytherin, we're Purebloods." Bellatrix told him.  
  
"Quit right." A woman said at the door of the bottom of the stairs. "But Sirius here doesn't understand that, that we're better then any of them. You see, they'll be the death of you and all of us."  
  
"Oh shut up!" Sirius shouted pushing his chair back so hard that it fell to the floor and he stormed out of the room pushing his mother out of the way.  
  
"I still can't believe that you're a son of mine." She shouted after him.  
  
And nether could Sirius, he wonder how the hell he had managed to be born into a family like his. He stomped all the way up stairs to the third floor where his bedroom, and the slammed his bedroom door shut making his owl jump and hoot wildly at him for waking him.  
  
"It's their fault!" Sirius shouted at it.  
  
He walked over to his bed and throws himself onto his bed face down. He had only been laying there for a couple of minutes when his bedroom door opened and his younger brother walked in. He had long black hair and cold brown eyes, though not how Sirius felt at the moment because they still held the warmth within them.  
  
"You've done it again." Regulus told him walking farer into the room.  
  
"Shut up! And get out!" Sirius shouted at him, but Regulus didn't leave.  
  
Sirius pushed himself up and turned round to face his younger brother who was smiling curly at him.  
  
"What?" Sirius shouted and then grabbed hold the book on his side table and throw it as hard as he could at his brother, though Regulus didn't move out of the way fast enough but managed to block it with his arm.  
  
"You should learn to control that temper of yours." Regulus teased him. "Though with it anyone would think that you weren't as good as you let on."  
  
Regulus had hit its mark, Sirius pulled out his wand from his waste and pointed at him; but just then a beautiful owl swooped in through the opened window and dropped a letter on his hand. He grabbed at the letter, he didn't know who the owl belonged to, but he thought he recognised the writing.  
  
"Just get out." Sirius said impatiently.  
  
"A letter from those Mud-blood friends of yours." Regulus said, as he glared at his older brother with degust and walked out.  
  
Sirius opened the letter, wanting to know who it was from.  
  
Dear Sirius,  
  
How are you? How's your summer going? Mine isn't really that good. I was just thinking if you lot wanted to come round, that way at least James would get some practise for Seeker, considering I live in the cottage and there's nearly no one around for miles. You don't have to if you don't want too of course. None of the girls can make it up here, and I'm not aloud to go to them, Infidus won't let me. I just wanted to see a friendly face.  
  
Well I hope that your well and having a better summer then me.  
  
Bye.  
  
Nissa  
  
Sirius read the letter through a couple of times not believing who it was from, and smiled for the first time in days. And then stopped realising that she wasn't having a good summer either; though he wasn't sure if he could do anything about he couldn't even help himself. He already knew that his mother and father wouldn't let him go and see his friends, because according to them they were scrum which had started the first argument off as Sirius defended them all and was grounded; and had to quickly get away to his room before his mother even thought about cursing him.  
  
He looked over at the window, where his own owl 'Chaos' sat and next to his handsome owl was Nissa's beautiful one, though he didn't know the name of it.  
  
"I don't know what to do." Sirius told them and sat down at the desk.  
  
He spent the morning trying to write a letter to her, but wasn't having any luck and then decided that he would write to James and Remus, and somehow just get out the house to meet them and then he could rescue Nissa, yes that was what he was going to do.  
  
***  
  
Over at the Potter's house the summer wasn't to bad, part from the fact that James Potter didn't have his best mates with him, he still had a couple of friends which lived nearby in the village.  
  
"Mum." James said as he came into the Kitchen and grabbing a piece of toast off the table. "I'm writing to Sirius later telling him to come over."  
  
"Thanks for asking dear." His mother said smiling.  
  
"Well, I knew you wouldn't mind." James told her sitting down for a moment. "So that mean's that "emus and Peter can come as well? Well not at the same time, well not to start with.Thanks mum."  
  
And with that James got up grabbed his broomstick by the back door and left, with his mother smiling at him.  
  
While he was flying with Harvey Prewitt who was in Ravenclaw and didn't live that far away from him and just around the corner from Davis Murphy who was in Hufflepuff; an owl swooped down on them flying around James's head with a letter attached to its leg, who knew whose owl this belonged to at once.  
  
James headed back down to the ground at once Chaos followed him as did Davis and Harvey, to find out who the letter was off.  
  
Hi James,  
Just writing to tell you that I'll be coming over, hope that's alright don't think I could stand two months at home without an escape somewhere.  
  
See you soon Sirius  
  
"Well, that saves me asking him." James said to himself more then to Davis or Harvey.  
  
"Sirius?" Harvey asked. "Isn't that the guy going out with the girl who friends with all those Slytherin's."  
  
James laughed. "He wishes he was going out with her."  
  
"Yeah, he isn't the only one." Davis told them. "Well they won't ask her because she's friends with some of those Slytherin's and she's a Manus."  
  
"She can't help that." James told them. "And she isn't friends with Snape any longer; you can take my work for that."  
  
James went home early to tell his mum and dad that Sirius was coming that week; though his father wasn't home yet he was still at work, but His mum was home. He came in the back down his mum was stood in front of the cooker making tea; she turned around surprised to see her son back so early.  
  
"Mum, Sirius is coming this week." James told her with his broom still in his hand.  
  
"Yes, you told me this morning." Mrs Potter answered.  
  
"Well when I was out I got a letter from him, telling them that he would be coming up this week." James told her smiling, and then going up stairs to his room still with his broom in his hand.  
  
"Broom." Mrs Potter shouted after him.  
  
James came back in and over to the door, where he left his broom slightly red in the face and then went up to his room.  
  
***  
  
Sirius planned the whole thing out, he called his uncle who had agreed to pick him up, and told Andromeda his favourite cousin what he was planning before she had gone home. She had wished him good luck before she had left and told him to have a good time as well.  
  
Sirius had left just after breakfast, though not before another fight had started with his mother shouted about her not wanting him to see his good for nothing mud-blood friends; saying that they were no good and would be his downfall if he didn't change his ways.  
  
He walked out, and the house vanished and he walked down the street to meet his favourite uncle, Uncle Alphard. They went around to his house, where he gave Sirius some money just encased he needed some and then held out the pot of Floo Powder which Sirius took. He threw the Powder into the fire and then stepped in.  
  
"The Potter's!" Sirius shouted into the fire, and then he was engulfed by green flames.  
  
Mrs Potter was in the kitchen clearing away the breakfast plates, when Sirius suddenly stumbled out of the fire place, making her drop the plate.  
  
Sirius looked over and at the broken plate. "I'm sorry Mrs Potter. I didn't mean to scare you."  
  
Mrs Potter smiled kindly at him realising who it was and then took out her wand and pointed it at the broken plate which repaired itself. "Its alright, you just took me by surprise. Sirius isn't it?"  
  
Sirius smiled back at the welcoming face and nodded, as James ran into the kitchen looking around for his friend.  
  
"I knew it was you, I heard your voice." James told him. "Mum, we're going out. I've got a spare broom you can use that."  
  
James walked over to the door and picked up both brooms and handed Sirius one who seemed a little taken back.  
  
"Before you go out boys, I want to know if you're staying for tea Sirius." Mrs Potter asked.  
  
"Yeah course he is." James answered for him and then drugged him out of the house.  
  
James and Sirius had a great time flying with and exploring the village, they there was too much for them to do in one day, so James told him that he better come back soon. Sirius of course had no problem with coming back to somewhere where he was welcome. He stayed for tea that night which pleased Mrs Potter because Sirius ate everything which she had made him and even had seconds and desert as well.  
  
Though he wasn't welcomed home when he got back there, he was glad that he had eaten at the Potter's because his mother told him that he couldn't have anything to eat because he had gone behind her back and gone to those mud-blood traitors which he had a nerve to call his friends.  
  
Sirius didn't care what his mother said to him now that he could escape to his friends for while, to just get out of the house and away from them.  
  
He went over again twice that weekend and stayed for Sunday lunch as well, and before he went back home they sent letter's to Remus and Peter making arrangements to meet up with them as well.  
  
Sirius had to go around to his aunts through on the Monday, which he wasn't looking forward to because he wouldn't be able to get away from Bellatrix considering it was her house. Though it wasn't that bad because he spent most of the time with his other cousin Andromeda, who was glad for him that he had been getting out, but on the other hand it had seemed to make things worst for him as well. But Sirius didn't talk about that, always changing the subject when ever she brought it up.  
  
Sirius went around to James' again, they still hadn't been able to make a date to meet up with Remus and Peter, but Remus had told them that he could make it this weekend but Peter couldn't. But Remus was still coming around. They were both sat at the kitchen table finishing off their breakfasts when Mr Potter walked in but not dressed for work.  
  
"We're going out today, and the two of you are coming with me." Mr Potter told them.  
  
They both looked at each other wondering where they would be going, and if it was going to be exciting, though Sirius wasn't that bored because he had never really gone out as a family before.  
  
"I have a couple of things to pick up in the country." Mr Potter told them. "Your mum's out today, so you get to come with me. It isn't bad, lost of open fields to fly in."  
  
Sirius suddenly remembered Nissa's letter and hoped that she was alright, he thought she must be because she had written back, unless she hadn't because she regretted it in the first; which he hoped that she hadn't and promised himself that he would write her something tonight when he got home.  
  
They drove for couple of hours right into the middle of the countryside almost deserted, part from a couple of houses and very small villages.  
  
"I wonder if this is where Nissa lives." Sirius wondered aloud.  
  
James looked over at him curiously, as his dad looked back through the mirror.  
  
"A girlfriend already? Aren't you a little young?" Mr Potter asked him.  
  
"She isn't his girlfriend." James told him.  
  
"We're friends and she's a girl." Sirius said. "Well I hope that we are, she act's as though she is."  
  
"Oh it's already started and you're only twelve." Mr Potter said smiling.  
  
James and Sirius looked at one another wondering what he was talking about, because nothing had happened well what they knew about anyway.  
  
"Women, it doesn't matter what age they are their all the same, they cloud the mind." Mr Potter told them. "Make you do stupid thing's which you wouldn't normally do."  
  
James laughed. "So what stupid things as mum made you do?"  
  
"Yes well." Mr Potter started and then didn't answer their question.  
  
James and Sirius laughed thinking of strange thing's he had to.  
  
They finally made it; it was a very small village square, they parked up in front of a clothes shop which James and Sirius pulled their faces at.  
  
"We came all this way for clothes?" James asked. "Couldn't they have sent them by owl?"  
  
"She did offer but I always like talking to her face to face, she is such I nice young lady." Mr Potter told them. "You should know, she goes to Hogwarts, so she should be helping out today."  
  
Now that had gotten their attention wondering who it could be, Mr Potter went inside first though there was no one in the shop well what they could see. James and Sirius came in though Sirius almost fell flat on his face tripping over a cat.  
  
"Damn cat tried to kill me." Sirius glowed.  
  
"Are you alright Sirius?" Mr Potter asked.  
  
"It's a good thing really; she only does that to people she really likes." A firmly friendly voice as told him, as she walked out of the shadows.  
  
They both at her surprised and they both smiled back at her.  
  
"Hi." Sirius said, and then wanted to hit himself for not saying anything better then just 'hi'.  
  
"Hello my dear, how are you?" Mr Potter asked her brightly. "I thought you might know each other."  
  
"Hi, it's nice to see you again. I'm not too bad just glad that I can come here to help out and get out of the house." Nissa answered. "Oh yeah, I know them two. It's kind of hard not too really, being in the same class and everything."  
  
"You're the same age? I always thought that you were older." Mr Potter told her.  
  
And both James and Sirius could see why, she looked so different without her school robes on; she didn't have any black on at all. In fact she was quit brightly dressed, and would never guess that she was a witch unless you knew. She had a short red skirt with a white square pattern over it, and a ¾ length white shirt with red cuffs and collar, and red sandals which lased up her legs.  
  
"Well were in the same year." Nissa told him. "But I'm still only eleven."  
  
"What? Why?" Sirius asked her. "How can you be?"  
  
"Well my birthday isn't till August, so that's how and why." Nissa answered him smiling, and then turned to Mr Potter. "I never realised though that James was your son, though I should have really considering."  
  
James glared at her wondering what she meant by that and wondering if it was a bad or a good thing, but he didn't want to say anything and look stupid in front of her and Sirius.  
  
"There all ready for you." Nissa said going over to the counter and disappearing underneath it and then came back up carrying three large parcels which Sirius and James took off of her even before Mr Potter told them. "Thanks. So is there anything else?"  
  
"No I think that's all for now, though we still haven't decided about Christmas." Mr Potter answered.  
  
"I have to go, I've got no choice." Nissa told him. "Even though we can't stand to be in the same room together, I still have to go with him and look happy and everything."  
  
"I'm sure thing's aren't that bad." Mr Potter asked quit concerned.  
  
"Nothing I can't handle." Nissa said reassuringly smiling at them as she always did, but this time they knew it wasn't real but none of them pressed the matter.  
  
"There's loads of space out here to fly isn't there?" James said changing the subject. "We should come up to fly some time. Oh and to say hi of course." He added after a quick after thought.  
  
Mr Potter paid for the clothes which James and Sirius carried out to the car, and then questioned him all the way home about Nissa and how long he had known her and everything he knew about her.  
  
Sirius stayed again for dinner and stayed the night because it was quit late; they put up a stare bed for him in James' room where they talked all night.  
  
Sirius came to visit quit offered and stayed over as well, the Potter's always making him welcome as though he was part of the family, more then anything he had ever had at his own home and family. 


	2. Whispers

Whispers  
  
James and Sirius pushed their trolleys along the Hogwarts Express looking for an empty compartment; Sirius had stayed the night at James' so that they could get the train together; Sirius not really wanting to spend the last night at home alone with his parents and all.  
  
James and Sirius pulled their heavy trucks onto the train and stored them in the over head luggage compartment and then went back out to say goodbye to his parent's and to find Remus and Peter.  
  
"We'll just stay until the train leaves, you don't mind do you?" Mrs Potter told James.  
  
"Even if I said yes you would still stay wouldn't you?" James asked smiling, he didn't mind really but he couldn't say that in front of his friend.  
  
They went looking for their other friends and found Remus first with his parents who looked over the moon, to see a couple of his friends eager to see him, even though it had only been a couple of days really since the last time they had all met up.  
  
"I want you to take good care of our Remus." Mrs Lupin told them.  
  
"Mum, please." Remus said going all red, and picked up his truck and nudged Sirius next to him to help; though he was still laughing at him which didn't help.  
  
Remus let go of his end to the truck which made Sirius also let go because it was too heavy for him and dropped on his foot.  
  
"What did you do that for?" Sirius said jumping up and down rubbing his foot, with James laughing beside of him. He just hoped that Nissa didn't arrive now; this wasn't how he had wanted her to see him.  
  
James stopped laughing and was looking up at the train horror at what he saw; Remus looked at him and then where he was looking and couldn't believe it either himself. Sirius though hadn't noticed anything, but not for long.  
  
"Thanks Severus, see ya later." Nissa said pleasantly behind them all.  
  
Sirius turned around at the sound of her voice, but he was still holding his sore foot and started to fall because he was unbalanced. But he never hit the ground, and when he looked up he saw two lovely red brown eyes looking down at him like no one had ever done before.  
  
"Am I dreaming?" Sirius asked those eyes.  
  
James and Remus both laughed and then he saw who those eyes belonged too; the smiling Nissa. He quickly let go of his and put it on the ground and straighten up blushing slightly.  
  
"Well I do hope I'm real." Nissa answered him pleasantly. "Though sometimes I do wonder, if all of this, is one big dream." And with that she turned still smiling at them all and walked off to find her own friends.  
  
"Well that was smooth." James said still laughing.  
  
"Oh shut up." Sirius told him, but thinking the same thing, she thought I was an idiot.  
  
They finally managed to get Remus' truck into their compartment and then they went out to find Peter who was stood with his parents who didn't want to let him go, they had to pull him away from them, reassuring them over and over that they would take good care of him. When they got back inside and sat down Sirius couldn't help him self but to laugh, even Peter laughed though he didn't really know why.  
  
"I never thought I would say this about school, though that was before I came to Hogwarts." Ella Larson was saying outside their compartment. "But I am glad to be going back."  
  
"So am I." Nissa agreed. "Oh, and I know that your not going to like this, but I'm made it up with Severus."  
  
"What why?" Ella asked shocked. "What at Sirius?"  
  
And with that the door shot open and there was Sirius fuming, with James and Remus still getting up.  
  
"You're friends with him again?" Sirius demanded. "With that, that bastard?"  
  
"Sirius!" Mrs Potter shouted at him through the open window.  
  
He slowly looked around at them. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Oh, Nissa love." Mrs Potter said brightly spotting Nissa stood in the corridor. "Those were lovely, thank you."  
  
Nissa smiled at her ignoring Sirius who was still fuming stood in front of the window. "It was no trouble, I'm glad you liked them."  
  
Ella looked at her and then at the people who she was talking to wondering who they were and how they knew her and Sirius, but before she could ask someone knocked into her from behind; they all turned round to see who it was.  
  
"Sorry Ella." Natalie Halbert said very red in the face from the effect of pulling her truck on her own.  
  
"I'll give you a hand." Nissa told her, stepping around Ella who had turned back looking dreamily at Sirius which was annoying Nissa.  
  
"I haven't finished." Sirius told her.  
  
Natalie looked at Nissa cursorily wondering what she had missed already.  
  
"Well I have." Nissa said picking up the other side of Natalie's truck and helped her carry it through, but Sirius hadn't finished and followed them. "If you're going to follow us, you could have offered to help." And with that Natalie and Nissa had finished.  
  
"Why? How can you be friends with that greasy haired git?" Sirius asked her in disbelief.  
  
Nissa turned around slowly to answer him. "I've known him since I was four years old, yes he can be an annoying git at times, but isn't?"  
  
Sirius opened his mouth to say something and then changed his mind, and James backed in carrying a truck with Remus' help.  
  
"James' mum and dad told him that he had to help me." Lily Evans told them stood at the door, because there was no room for her to get in.  
  
"Hi Lily." Nissa said and then turned back to Sirius. "Have you finished now?"  
  
"No, no I haven't." Sirius told her, though really he couldn't think of anything else to say but he wasn't ready to just walk out without a fight.  
  
Everyone was looking at them wondering what was going on, James and Remus knew partly why he was so annoyed.  
  
"Are the two of you going out?" Ella asked sounding surprised and disappointed as well.  
  
"No we're not." Nissa shot at her. "Why would I go out with someone who was so close minded?"  
  
"I'm not closed minded!" Sirius shouted back at her. "I just can't see why the hell you would want to be friends with that evil bastard."  
  
"He. he." Nissa stuttered.  
  
"See even you know it, you just can't bring yourself to face the fact that he's evil." Sirius shot at her.  
  
"Get out!" Nissa shouted at him, and then started to push him out of their over cowered compartment.  
  
Outside in the corridor Polly and Adorabella were giggle as they watched, their once calm friend pushing the handsome Sirius Black out into the corridor. James and Remus walked out after Nissa had moved for them and dragged Sirius into the next compartment still fuming about what had happened.  
  
Polly and Adorabella walked in still giggle about what they had seen and then sat down with their friends, though Nissa didn't sit down but took up pacing up and down in front of them in the very small space.  
  
After ten minutes of watching Nissa pace in front of them they were getting quit annoyed them selves, and finally Lily dragged her in the seat next to her.  
  
"I can't believe he said that." Nissa said.  
  
"Well he's a guy isn't he?" Natalie told her.  
  
"Yes so?" Nissa asked completely annoyed by this statement as though she thought that she should let him off because he's a guy and their suppose to act like that.  
  
"Maybe he's jealous?" Natalie suggested.  
  
"Of what? That I'm friends with Severus?" Nissa asked, though she did think this over but only for a moment. And she told herself that he wasn't jealous just annoyed because she was friends with someone from Slytherin, and that he didn't think they should be that they should mix.  
  
"Hey have any of you been reading the Daily Prophet?" Adorabella asked changing the subject.  
  
"I don't need to." Nissa said dully looking out of the window.  
  
"Why? I don't get it." Lily asked.  
  
"Well lots of mysteries things have been happening over the summer, and no one knows who or what is behind it." Adorabella told them.  
  
"What sort of things?" Lily and Ella asked, both being Muggles they haven't heard anything.  
  
"Well just little thing's really." Adorabella told them. "But quit a few that's why their in the paper. Someone broke into the Ministry of Magic, and sole something. Well they didn't say what it was but it must have been important mustn't it?"  
  
They talked about what had been in the paper's all summer and then moved on to what they had gotten up over the summer, all them stayed cleared of any mention of Sirius and his friends, they didn't really want to start Nissa off again.  
  
They finally arrived at Hogsmende Train Station; they left their things on the train and followed the rest of the school, because they didn't have to travel across the lake this year. They followed the rest of the school and found hundreds of horseless carriages.  
  
"Oh wow." Ella said.  
  
"How are they supposed to move?" Adorabella asked.  
  
Nissa looked over at them and thought that she saw something move, she shock her head and then looked again, and there was nothing.  
  
"I just don't get her." Sirius was saying for the hundredth time that day.  
  
"I know mate you said already." Remus was telling him. "Maybe that's the thing, you always start off by being nice and then you end up arguing by upsetting her."  
  
"He doesn't upset me, for him to upset me I had to care about him in the first place wouldn't I?" Nissa shot at Remus and then stormed off, she hadn't meant to take it out on Remus.  
  
She walked straight into he back of someone not looking where she was going, he guy turned around ready to shout at who ever it was and then didn't. He looked at her and then smiled at her; she smiled back at him, ignoring his glaring friends.  
  
"Can I ride with you? I can't stand him!" Nissa asked and without an answer she got into his carriage with his friends.  
  
Severus smiled to himself and then looked over his shoulder to look for Potter and Black, he spotted them they were shooting draggers at him and fuming. He smiled at them and then got in behind Nissa.  
  
They road up to the school together. Sirius stood there frozen on the spot with James gapping next to him.  
  
"What's wrong with the two of you?" Remus asked who hadn't seen where Nissa had gone.  
  
"She's gone with that git." Sirius said through gritted teeth.  
  
"Oh." Remus said looking at the two of them. "Well maybe if you're not so hard on her, she wouldn't have."  
  
Sirius ignored him and walked up to the first empty carriage and got inside, James, Remus and Peter followed. Once everyone was inside and the door closed it set off as through there was a large horse pulling them along and up the great path towards the school, through the gates and they saw Hogwarts raising fast in front of them as they raced up towards it.  
  
The carriages stopped spaced out in front of the entrance they all started to pile out and make their way inside and the Great Hall for the sorting and then the feast. Severus got out of the carriage first, with several other students from his year walking pass, and then Nissa got out making then all look twice and then start whispering between themselves.  
  
Nissa walked up with Severus and his friends right behind them, they enter the Great Hall and then parted and went to their seprate tables. Nissa sat next to Lily as normal with Polly, Ella and Natalie facing them, she could see that they all wanted to start asking her questions.  
  
Remus walked up and sat down next to Nissa and then Peter next to him. Sirius sat down facing him and then James next to him, Sirius glared at Nissa, who looked the other way, but not before she said something.  
  
"I'm sorry Remus; I shouldn't have beaten your head off." Nissa said, making Sirius glare even more. "It wasn't you."  
  
Sirius sat there waiting for her to apologies to him but it never happened.  
  
"What? What about me?" Sirius demanded.  
  
But Nissa didn't get to answer his questions because just then the doors opened and Professor McGonagall was leading the new first years up to the front of the hall.  
  
Sirius wanted the sorting to be over so that he could talk to Nissa, though Remus was shocking his head at him as though he could read his mind knowing exactly what he wanted to do. The sorting was over and Dumbledore stood up everyone looked at him not talking.  
  
"Welcome, welcome to your first year at Hogwarts and those who have returned, welcome back." Dumbledore said smiling down at everyone. "Now, eat." He waved his hands and their tables filled with food of every kind you could think of.  
  
Sirius started to fill his plate though his heart wasn't really in it as eat through everything and then went back to seconds, all the time listening to people whisper around them and looking over at their table.  
  
"Is she really?"  
  
"A Gryffindor and a Slytherin."  
  
"She's quit pretty, what does she see in that Slytherin?"  
  
They lasted all the way through the meal and then desert and all the way up to their common room, Sirius' temper not calming down once but getting worst; which showed when he kicked the stone wall as he waited to enter the common room, which didn't really help his already sore foot because it had been the same which Remus had dropped his truck on hours before. 


	3. Confusing First Morning Back

Confusing First Morning Back  
  
Sirius walked into the Great Hall and flopped down in his seat, he looked at all the food in front of him but didn't start to fill his plate as normal; he was still in a mood about the night before.  
  
"You should eat." James told him.  
  
"Its not as though he's going to go hungry is it?" Remus said sitting down next to him and helping himself. "I mean he ate enough last night."  
  
"Well I know that, but it might make him feel better." James told him helping himself to some sausage and bacon.  
  
"Here they come." Remus said quietly.  
  
They all walked passed them then sat down without speaking to them, though Ella and Natalie did smile at Sirius who ignored them, they helped themselves to breakfast, and then mail arrived.  
  
Natalie looked up as did Polly as she joined them from talking with Adorabella from the Ravenclaw table, they both got letters. And then a large grey owl swooped down and landed in front of Nissa surprising her making her jump and knocked Sirius almost making him choke.  
  
"Damned owl!" Nissa said, though she didn't take the letter. "Why the hell is he writing to me?"  
  
The owl moved towards her wanting her to take his letter but Nissa moved away from it as she didn't want to be anywhere near it, she moved right into Sirius almost in his lap when she realised and jumped to her feet.  
  
"It's just a letter." Natalie said looking at her friend who was acting very odd.  
  
The jumped after her flapped its wings to give it height; it was now in front of Sirius with Nissa stood behind. Sirius looked over his shoulder at her and then at owl and pulled the letter off.  
  
"Its not as though it's a Howler is it?" Sirius told her trying to give her her letter but she still wouldn't take it. "Well if you're not going to open it." And he turned it over to open it but Nissa had made to stretch it out of his hand, but he moved it out of her reach.  
  
"No." Nissa said pleadingly at him, as she tried to grab at the letter she didn't want to read herself and didn't want anyone else to read either.  
  
Sirius was moving out of her and still trying to open it Nissa grabbed at letter and climbing back over the benches, she was almost on top of him as he leant back and she lead over to get the letter off of him. But he opened it and pulled out the letter and his playful smile faded at once from his face as he read.  
  
Dear Nissa,  
Though there isn't anything I can think of which is dear about you. But even though it pain's me, you are still coming to the Ball at Christmas. So don't get any funny ideas about not coming now that your back there, because I can still come and get you.  
  
Remember.  
  
Infidus.  
  
Nissa fell on top of him at the shock that he was reading it, imaging what horrible thing it said. He looked up at her.  
  
"And what are the two of you doing? And at the breakfast table." McGonagall asked questioningly.  
  
Nissa jumped to her feet Sirius handed her the letter and couldn't take his eyes off of her.  
  
"Your time tables." McGonagall told them and then added to Nissa and Sirius. "And try to contain yourselves."  
  
McGonagall carried on down the table handing out time tables. Nissa sat back down and looked at the letter, but she didn't look at Sirius or at anyone.  
  
"Well then, that was different." James said brightly smirking at his best mate, though he didn't seem at all happy.  
  
"So that was what you were talking about at the start of summer?" Sirius asked her finally.  
  
Nissa didn't answer him; she couldn't even look at him.  
  
"I'm going as well, well I have to go." Sirius told her, she looked up at him. "Though I was hoping like you that they would just forget about me going."  
  
Nissa still didn't say anything, she knew it was a lot for him to tell her that, but she couldn't. She looked at him sadly and then got up and left. Her friends looked after her and then at Sirius, who didn't show any sign of emotion and then they went after her.  
  
"What was that about?" James asked looking at the girls walking out and then Sirius. "What was with the letter?"  
  
"The stupid Christmas Ball, you've heard about it." Sirius answered.  
  
"The Gower Ball?" Remus asked.  
  
"My mum and dad aren't going to that; they can't stand some of the people who goes to it." James said.  
  
"Well I have too, and so does she." Sirius told them and got up himself and left.  
  
James and Remus looked at one another and they followed him.  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't realise, I didn't mean anything by it." James told him hurry to catch him.  
  
Sirius stopped and turned round. "Why be sorry, that's what my families like."  
  
"But your not." Remus told him. "Well your not are you? See you in Gryffindor."  
  
"And what does that mean?" Sirius shot at them and then stormed off to his first lesson though he didn't really know what it was, and only looked when his friends couldn't see him.  
  
They didn't talk much about it and Sirius was off with them for days, and Nissa avoided them even more which was hard of course being in all the same classes and everything, but she made sure that she always sat as far away from them as she could.  
  
Sirius didn't talk about his family ever to any of them and they never asked because this was how he always acted and thought it best to just let him calm down on his own. But there was one thing that they were wondering about, and that was with Nissa. She had acted so oddly about the letter and quit playfully with Sirius which was strange in itself and then when Sirius told her that he had to, it was as though she couldn't bring herself to even look at him, they didn't understand at all. 


	4. Quidditch Try Outs

Quidditch Try Outs  
  
James walk up to the table where his friends were sat eating breakfast after talking excitedly to Captain Michael Fuller, James smiled at them all excitedly.  
  
"Quidditch try outs." James told them with a wide grin.  
  
Nissa turned round from talking to Adorabella and Polly to hear more.  
  
"You're on the team right?" Sirius asked him though he already knew the answer; they all knew it would be an outrage if James didn't make the team.  
  
"When are the try outs?" Nissa asked.  
  
James looked over at her now looking very serious, which didn't suit him when he was so excited.  
  
"It's a far too dangerous game for you to play." Ella said.  
  
"That's all part of the fun." Nissa told her. "And it isn't that dangerous, well it depends on who you play against."  
  
"I'll only tell you, if stop avoiding us." James told her.  
  
"I'm not." Nissa started but she knew she was, and knew that they knew as well. "Fine, I'm sorry." And she sat down in-between Sirius and Remus to find out when the try outs were.  
  
"Friday night." James told her. "So are you really going to try out? What are you going for?"  
  
Nissa smiled at him. "Well Seeker's gone, so Chaser."  
  
"Funny." James said smiling.  
  
Nissa turned round to Sirius before she got up to leave and smiled at him slightly.  
  
"I'm sorry; I can be a bit of an idiot sometimes." Nissa told him.  
  
"You said it, so you can't have a go." Sirius said smiling, feeling a lot better.  
  
Nissa smiled back and then got up and went off with Adorabella and Polly.  
  
"You should have made her promise not to run off before the mail arrived." Sirius said turning back to James.  
  
James smile at him. "Well at less she's talking to you again mate, that's a bonus isn't it?"  
  
"Course. I knew she had too, who wouldn't?" Sirius said smiling and then looked around at the girls who was sat nearby, which quit a few were also smiling at him and then quickly looked away when he seemed to smile back at them.  
  
They were all stood on the Quidditch pitch with their brooms in their hands, about a dozen people had shown up to try out, and another two dozen were sat in the stands watching their them.  
  
"Right I know that it's only the second week back, but we have two places to fill, and then start training." Michael told them, looking at them all in turn with the rest of the team stood behind them, with James among them.  
  
Nissa was stood with Polly who she had dragged down with her, they were surrounded by older student's mainly boys there was only one other girl and they didn't know who she was.  
  
"Right how about we get started?" Michael told them. "Two of you well with team as the other two Chasers, and then we'll choose the best at the end."  
  
He looked at the group of people stood in front of him and pointed to two lads who both smiled and mounted their brooms and flew up with the rest of the team.  
  
"Do you think this is such a good idea?" Natalie asked.  
  
"It won't be that bad." The older girl told them. "Hi I'm Jessie."  
  
"Nissa and this is Natalie." Nissa told her.  
  
The lads try out didn't really go so well, the lad from the year above them Mark didn't catch the quarffle once, and the other quit flying to far ahead.  
  
"Right next to." Michael shouted down, as the two lads landed. Jessie went up next and a lad out of her year, a couple of people cheered for them from the small crowd of people sat in the stands.  
  
Jessie wasn't that bad, she caught the quarffle she just didn't manage to score. Their turn was over and Michael was now pointing at Nissa and lad she had never even seen before. She mounted her broom and kicked off.  
  
"Go Nissa!"  
  
"Show them how it's done!"  
  
"Come on Dean!"  
  
Nissa heard a couple of her friends shout to her, and she also found out the lads name as well.  
  
"Right lets go." Michael said and throws the quarffle straight at Nissa.  
  
Nissa flew towards it and caught it, she underneath one of the beaters, and throw the quarffle on as a bludger came flying her way, which she dodged and flew straight passed James who was looking for the snitch.  
  
She caught every ball which was passed to her and made ever shot, to the surprise of everyone. She landed next to Dean who didn't look at her and walked back over to his friends.  
  
"I knew you could do Nis!" Sirius shouted down.  
  
Nissa went bright red, though no one could really see because it was staring to get dark. It took an hour to get through the rest of them before it was all over. Everyone was stood together; those who had been sat in the stands had come down to find out who was going to make the team. James was stood with Sirius and Remus, and Peter who had his cloak raped around him because he was cold.  
  
Nissa was checking on Polly with Lily, her nose had finally stopped bleeding and was telling Nissa that she was never going to do anything like this again.  
  
"Can I have a bit of quiet?" Michael shouted over their voices. "Right here's who on the team. Ryley; and that pretty second year girl."  
  
Sirius hugged Nissa before she knew what had happened.  
  
"That's great, you made the team." James told her.  
  
"Yeah well done." Remus said smiling.  
  
"He didn't even know my name." Nissa said.  
  
"You're the pretty second year girl." Sirius told her with her still in his arms.  
  
Nissa looked at him and tried to step back but he didn't let her, she hugged him back and then he let her go.  
  
"I should talk to him, tell him my name." Nissa told them, but before she could walk off Sirius grabbed her hand and started to pull her the other way with the rest of them.  
  
"You want to keep your place right?" Sirius asked.  
  
Nissa looked at him annoyed but aloud her herself to be pulled along for a while before she pulled her hand out of his.  
  
When they got back up to the common room, Michael came over and sat down with James, Sirius and Remus, Peter had gone to sit with Matt who was reluctantly helping him with his homework.  
  
"She is good right; tonight wasn't just a one off?" Michael asked them.  
  
"What Nissa, oh she's good." Sirius said.  
  
"You're not just saying that because you're going out with her?" Michael asked him.  
  
"We're not going out; she isn't going out with anyone." Sirius said a little taken back.  
  
"Who said they were going?" James asked smirking.  
  
"Oh right." Michael said smiling distractedly.  
  
Sirius didn't like the look on his face; Michael stood up and then went back over to his own friends from his own year. They started to talk and then all started to laugh. Sirius glared at him.  
  
"What was that about?" Remus asked, but none of them answered.  
  
Sirius made his way down to the Quidditch Stadium with Remus and Peter, it was the first match of the season; Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. They were all looking forward to the match, to see their best mate in his first real match, and Nissa was also playing as well. Which Sirius was quit pleased that Michael had not asked her out.  
  
James as sat white faced on the bench next to beater Jake who was smirking at him, Nissa was pacing in front of them to exciting to sit down.  
  
"Do you have to do that?" James asked her.  
  
"You've got nothing to be nervous about, you've already done it and won us the cup." Nissa told him and then turned to Michael. "When are we going out?"  
  
Michael smiled at her Nissa smiled back. "We're going now."  
  
They all stood up James went out with Michael Nissa went out with the only other girl on the team Majesta Primavera, with everyone else following them. They walked out to defending cheers from the crowd above; Madam Lani was stood a couple of feet away with a large chest at her feet which contain all the balls. The Slytherin team walked out to cheers and boo's which could be heard a lot louder then the Slytherin's who had booed at the Gryffindor team.  
  
"Right Captain shack hands." Lani told them.  
  
Michael stepped forward with his two beaters behind him, the Slytherin Captain stepped forward Luther Borg he was a foot taller and quit a bit bigger then Michael. They held out their hands reluctantly and shock hands and then quickly let go. They stepped back with the rest of their team and mounted their brooms.  
  
"On the count of three." Lani said. "One, two three." And she blew her whistle and kicked open the box the bludger flew out followed by the golden snitch and then she throw up the quarffle and everyone spot up through the air.  
  
James flew up high above the rest of the team. Nissa flew up straight at Luther lopped him and grabbed hold of the quarffle, making him swear at her but she was long gone. Michael was on her other side; with the crowd cheering all around them. She passed to Michael and swerved out of the way just as she missed a bludger.  
  
"And their off, that Tiania girl can really fly." Neil shouted over the crowd. "Not many guys would even think about taking on Luther and she did, beaten by a second year girl that must hurt."  
  
Michael passed to Ryley who quickly passed it onto Nissa as Luther and Garrick both came speeding towards, Nissa caught the quarffle and flew straight at them in the wrong direction. She pretend to fly out of their way, and then changed her mind and went over the top of them in the last minute making collide with one another.  
  
"She's got a death wish if she carries on like that, Fathering clears the path for her and she scores!" Neil shouted. "Gryffindor scores!"  
  
The crowd screamed and cheered and stomped their feet. Dagon the Slytherin Keeper threw the quarffle back out there; Garrick caught it and flew down the pitch with Luther at side and Seain marking their backs. Avery shot a bludger at Ryley who just missed by inches. Olin shots back the other bludger at him.  
  
Michael fly's Garrick who passes to Luther who has Nissa on his other side, he swing's round intending to hit her with his broom which she manages somehow to duck but didn't move fast enough as he came back round and kicked her in the chest sending her flying off course.  
  
The match went on for about twenty minutes, Gryffindor scoring Slytherin scoring, someone getting hit by a bludger or nearly colliding with another player.  
  
Ryley dazed throw the quarffle in the air barely able to see because he had just been hit in the head by a beaters bat. Luther darted towards it as did Garrick just encase he missed it, but Nissa was also gunning for it, which she knew was completely mad of her to do of course but she was still going for the Quarffle.  
  
"She's mad; I can't look their going to kill her." Neil was commentating and holding up a hand to only partly cover his face. "What is she doing?"  
  
Nissa dived and then suddenly shot up right underneath the two of them, she swung her broom round as hard as she hitting them both in the face and grabbed hole of the quarffle and shot off towards the goal; just as James dodged both bludgers and spotted the snitch he dived. Everyone was screaming themselves horse at what was happening before their very eyes.  
  
James had to move quickly out of the way of Luther who was fuming at the little girl who quit getting one over on him, but he never took his eye off the snitch Hayden was now chasing him but he was to far behind to have any chance of catching him now.  
  
"These two new players where have they been?" Neil shouted. "Tiania, she can fly, somewhat insane and has a death wish but she can fly. And Potter he's going to it again, he's almost there."  
  
James was a foot away from he snitch and a foot of the ground he jumped for, raped his hand tightly around the golden snitch and rolled flat on his back with his broom next to him.  
  
"Gryffindor win!" Neil shouted, over Lani's whistle.  
  
James got to his feet as his team mates started to land around him, Nissa was smiling at him still holding the quarffle Jake and Olin were clapping him on his back, as the crowd spilled out onto the ground making their way other to them.  
  
Michael landed almost in front of him. "You were brilliant." And then he turned to Nissa who he grabbed hold of by the arm making her dropped the quarffle and pulling her towards him and kissing her quit passionately, even though Nissa tried to push him away.  
  
Sirius had pulled out his wand when he saw them and Remus was trying to get it out of his hand, Nissa finally managed to break free of him just as warts sprang up all over his face. Nissa looked at him and then stepped back into James, everyone stepped back from him, they looked at Nissa and then at him. Sirius smiling, and then he saw Snape pointing his wand right at Michael, he might not like Snape but he didn't like Michael anymore now either.  
  
"You didn't?" Remus asked him pulling his wand right out of his hand.  
  
"No, but I wish it had of been mine." Sirius told him, as Madam Lani came rushing over telling him to go to hospital wind straight away. 


	5. Luna Effects

Luna Effects  
  
Severus had been seen by a Gryffindor student at the match and told Professor McGonagall, who gave him detention and took ten points, though Jevidah wasn't at all happy and went to see her straight away about it.  
  
"Professor, do you really think it is necessary to take away points and give him detentions, considering what that Fuller boy did?" Jevidah said.  
  
"And what was that?" McGonagall asked.  
  
"He kissed her; Mr Snape was only defending the girl's honour." Jevidah told her.  
  
"His action by well have been noble but they were still wrong." McGonagall told him. "The punishment stands."  
  
It was over a week later and Nissa was still fuming, well one minute she was and then the next she wasn't, which was confusing quit a few people with her behaviour. But when it was announced that they were going out together, Nissa didn't seem to care as though she was in one of her happy moods at the time.  
  
Her friends thought her behaviour wasn't that bad, she was just confused about her feelings for him, and that she was overwhelmed at being asked out by a handsome 5th year; who was a tall dark handsome guy.  
  
There was quit a few girls mostly older of course who were quit jealous that she was the one going out with him when they would have given anything to go out with him.  
  
Severus was still annoyed, even more so because he had gotten detention and had also lost ten points for Slytherin and after losing the Quidditch match as well.  
  
Sirius had taken up to avoiding Michael when ever he came over to talk to James, but today Michael clapped his arm around Sirius' shoulder to stop him from walking away.  
  
"I don't see why your so upset mate." Michael told him.  
  
"Really?" Sirius glowed.  
  
"I'm going out with her, get over it." Michael told him. "And anyway if you were interested in her, then you would have asked her out well before I did."  
  
"You didn't even ask her, you just announced it after kissing her in front of everyone." Sirius shouted at him pulling away from him, and storming off pushing a group of first years out of his way.  
  
"See ya later." Remus said and went after him.  
  
"Yeah see ya later." James said as he was followed by Peter.  
  
"Slow down will you?" Remus shouted running to catch him up.  
  
Sirius stopped and turned round glaring at them all as they all stopped in front of him.  
  
"When's the nest full moon?" Sirius asked Remus.  
  
"What? Why?" Remus asked him a little unsure.  
  
"Because I want you to tear that. that git, that bastard apart, that's why." Sirius told him.  
  
Remus just looked at him, he knew that he would never really ask him to ever do anything like that, but it still unnerved him as they all walked to History of Magic.  
  
Sirius flung himself in his sit moodily as James sat down beside of taking to Harvey again about the Quiddicth along with his friends from Ravenclaw.  
  
Lily walked in first with Adorabella behind her looking rare ruffled.  
  
"I wish people would stop calling me Adora, why can't they just call me Bella?" Bella asked as they took their seats.  
  
"Ignore them." Lily told her. "Your friends know what you like to be call, and anyone else well you know."  
  
Natalie and Nissa sat down behind them; Nissa was still smiling for some reason.  
  
"I just ignore people who say my name wrong, or call me Manus." Nissa told them pleasantly as she pulled out her books and a quill. "Well part from the teachers of course."  
  
"Why are you so cheerful all of a sudden?" Lily asked her turning around with Bella.  
  
"What do you mean?" Nissa asked a little confused.  
  
"Well one minutes you dead annoyed with Michael." Lily told her.  
  
"He is nice, gorgeous isn't he?" Bella said dreamily beside of her.  
  
Sirius snapped his quill in half glowing loudly making them look over at him.  
  
"What do you thinks wrong with him?" Natalie asked quietly.  
  
"He's been like that ever since that Quidditch match." Lily told them all.  
  
"No he hasn't." Nissa said as she got up and went over to Ella get back a roll of parchment she had lent but now need herself.  
  
"Are you blind?" Bella asked her quietly, but still most people heard.  
  
"About something's yes, and others no." Nissa answered pleasantly, and confusing everyone else.  
  
"What sort of answer is that?" Lily asked her.  
  
"Well I can tell you how many guys checked you all out this morning at breakfast, but I haven't a clue when I guy likes me, unless he comes straight up and tells me so." Nissa answered her as she sat back down, though of course half the class had heard her answer.  
  
"I bet that no one checked me out." Natalie said down hearted.  
  
"You'll be surprised." Nissa told her.  
  
"What if they were checking you out and now us?" Natalie asked.  
  
"That's a good question." Bella agreed.  
  
"Then they would have been looking at me, and they weren't." Nissa told them. "See now James and Sirius there looking at me, but that's all because what we're talking about."  
  
Both James and Sirius both went bright red and quickly turned away, as they all laughed but also wondered how she knew that because she had had her back to them the whole time.  
  
Sirius wasn't really looking forward to their Charm's class where they would be with Ravenclaw again after what had happened in History of Magic, he couldn't even look at her now without her seeing him doing, and she wouldn't even have a clue why unless he told her. Which he couldn't do that; he could do anything else anything but not that.  
  
On their way into the classroom Sirius bumped into someone almost knocking them over, he was just about to turn around to say sorry but they spoke first.  
  
2You should watch what your doing." Nissa shot at him.  
  
Sirius stepped back, completely taken back at her sudden change in mood, though her friends didn't really seem that bored as though they were used to it by now.  
  
Sirius mouthed that he was sorry but the words never came out as he followed them in with James and Remus. Remus led in to whisper to them.  
  
"See now if that was me, I would put it down to the up coming full moon, but she isn't a werewolf." Remus whispered, making them both stop and stare at him.  
  
"Or maybe it's a woman thing, you know that time of month and all." James said.  
  
"Yeah which just happens to coincides with the full moon?" Remus added, though Sirius ignored him though not before he said one thing.  
  
"She can't be a werewolf; I've seen her during the full moon." Sirius said as though that was the end of that and sat down.  
  
They didn't talk about it for the rest of the day, even when James went off for Quidditch training with Nissa and with Michael who had his arm around her and pulled her close. Sirius stayed behind with Remus who was not at all in a good mood.  
  
Remus tried to forget about wanting Nissa to be a werewolf like him, he shouldn't think like that he knew he shouldn't, but he still wondered if he could find someone one day that wondered mind him being one.  
  
Sirius looked at his watch and then out of the window and then back at his watch.  
  
"Do you think it will be over yet?" Sirius asked.  
  
"It could be why don't we go down and meet him?" Remus suggested.  
  
"Yeah we can get a bit of practise in our selves before class." Sirius added, Peter pulled his face but still followed them anyway.  
  
They made their way down to the entrance hall passing a couple of the other team member's, James spotted them and ran up the steps towards them with his broom still in his hand, he pulled them back into the shadow's.  
  
"What the hell are you doing, have you mad?" Sirius asked and tried to get pass him but James pulled him back.  
  
"Michael and Nissa are coming." James told him.  
  
"I don't want to watch them, together." Sirius told him and tried to get out again, but James still kept a firm grip on him.  
  
They all fell silent as Michael and Nissa walked through the great doors hand in hand, Nissa though was looking around as though looking for somewhere to escape too.  
  
"We should have gone for a walk; no one would have missed us." Michael told her.  
  
"I've got class, north tower you know." Nissa said.  
  
Michael rounded on her and grabbed hold of her other hand, but Nissa stepped back but he followed, she hit the wall and he was inches away from her.  
  
"There's no where to go." Michael said softly and then led in to kiss her.  
  
Nissa kissed him back thinking that it wasn't so bad, but it only lasted for a moment. He stopped kissing her and then flew across the hall and hit the wall and slumped down to the ground. Nissa looked at him and started to walk over to make sure he was alright, but she stopped and looked up to see who had done it.  
  
"Severus!" Nissa said sounding very surprised.  
  
He was glaring down at Michael who was trying to get to his feet and still had his wand pointed directly at him, she turned and started up to Severus. Michael was outraged, this wasn't happening to him. He pulled out his wand and pointed it Severus but he was too quick, and before Nissa could stop Severus, Michael was flying back into the wall and painful bleeding boils were erupting all over his face and body.  
  
Nissa ran up to the steps and grabbed hold of Severus and tried to take his wand off of him. None of them could hear James, Sirius, Remus and Peter laughing in the broom-cupboard.  
  
"Severus, you shouldn't have done that." Nissa told him still trying to get his wand off of him. "Why?"  
  
"What about me!" Michael shouted, making both Nissa and Severus stop and look over at him.  
  
"I'm sorry Michael, but I can't leave him. I'm sure that you'll be able to get to the hospital wing." Nissa told him and then turned back to Severus and started to pull him along the corridor.  
  
"What you're not coming with me?" Michael shouted after her.  
  
"No she isn't!" Severus shouted down to him while Nissa pulled him away and Severus looking quit pleased with himself.  
  
Michael slowly got to his feet and started to make his way on his own up to the hospital wing, talking to himself loudly. "I can't believe that bastard, and she left me. She's supposed to be going out with me!"  
  
Sirius and James fell out of the cupboard laughing after Michael disappeared, Remus pushed peter out before he could get out himself.  
  
"I know I hate Snape and everything, but at less he's good for something." Sirius found himself saying, they talked about the whole thing over and over as they collected their things and headed with the rest of the class up to the north tower.  
  
Nissa walked with Lily while Natalie, Polly and Ella questioned her about Michael and what they did after training considering that neither of them came straight back to the common room, and Michael hadn't still arrived back when they were leaving.  
  
"So how are you and Michael?" Sandra asked (a Hufflepuff girl) when they got to the top of the tower.  
  
"They had training together tonight." Ella told her.  
  
"Yeah and then they must have gone for a night time walk, because they didn't get back till late." Natalie told them all smiling, and then they all started to giggle.  
  
"She was gone for ages." Polly added.  
  
"So?" Suzy asked.  
  
"So what?" Nissa answered.  
  
"She won't tell us anything." Lily informed them. "At less she didn't just answer nothing like she did before when we asked. Though it can't have been that bad, can it?"  
  
"He'll probably never talk to me again, and want me off the team as well." Nissa told them.  
  
"Good." Sirius whispered to his friends nearby. "I mean about the not talking thing."  
  
They were standing as close as they could, without it looking to odd, so that they could listen to what they were talking about.  
  
Nissa looked up at the night sky above them, the clouds parted to show the moon, it was almost the full. She starred transfixed at it as though it had some sort of power over her. Though Remus was doing the complete opposite and trying his hardest not to look at it as though it called his doom and painful end, which was hard considering they were star fazing and piloting the stars on their maps.  
  
Nissa walked away from her friends, who didn't notice. She moved close to the edge and next to Sirius and his friends, who had started to talk among themselves now. She had forgotten that there were people all around her, she felt as though she was alone and wanted to escape. She stepped up on the ledge and started to lean forward.  
  
Professor Cean's almost had an heart attack when he turned around and saw her stood on the very end and looked as though she was about to fall over the side, and fall to her death.  
  
"Oh my word." Cean's breathed, and then shouted. "Miss Tiania get down from there at once!"  
  
Everyone looked around, Nissa's connection had been broken and she almost fell forward. But these strong arms wrapped around her waste and pulled her back with all there strength and they both fell to the ground, as they fell Nissa's hair and eyes changed to the same colour of the moon as though it wanted to leave a part of itself with her.  
  
Nissa lay there, still not sure where she was, she could still feel the arms around her but she didn't know who they belonged too.  
  
"What on earth was you thinking?" Cean's shouted at her as he held his hest tightly, with everyone stood around them. "It's just a good job that Mr Black as there. Ten points Mr Black, and five from you Miss Tiania."  
  
The only thing she had heard was Mr Black, Sirius. Sirius had hold of her and she was on top of him, she suddenly went very red and struggled to her feet pushing him back down as she did so. He got to his feet and touched her hair.  
  
"You're a Metamorphmagus?" Sirius asked her.  
  
"What?" Nissa said, the only thing which she was aware of was him and his brown eyes looking at her so intently, he had caught her and now she wasn't sure what he was doing.  
  
"A what?" Ella asked.  
  
"Really? Let's have a look then?" Davis said excitedly pushing to get a better look.  
  
"Are you alright?" Sirius asked her.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine, thanks. Thank you." Nissa said, and then was pulled away by Lily passed Remus. "Damn stupid moon."  
  
Remus was taken aback at what she said, he needed to talk to them though Sirius was staring transfixed at Nissa as she went down the stairs with Lily.  
  
"Why did Lily have to take her away?"  
  
"I wonder what she could change into."  
  
Everyone talked about it all the way back to their rooms, Remus was glad when the Hufflepuff's finally left them so that he could talk to them.  
  
"It was the moon." Remus told them.  
  
"I've already told you Remus she isn't a werewolf." Sirius said.  
  
"Fine she isn't a werewolf, but maybe someone had been in her family." Remus went on. "She doesn't have to be one, the moon would still effect her, like it does to normal werewolves. That would explain her mood swings, and her odd behaviour tonight. She even blamed it on the moon herself, I heard her."  
  
Sirius stopped making them all stop as well.  
  
"She isn't one." Sirius said. "I've seen her during the full moon, she's been fine."  
  
"Yes, but she's getting older" Remus told him. "Everything's different, she's changing, it'll do things to her."  
  
"No." Sirius said shacking his head.  
  
"You don't mind me being one, but you would if she was one?" Remus asked.  
  
Sirius looked at him, his friend was right, why was this different? He didn't know.  
  
Remus looked at him disappointedly, as though he had just lost his best mate and started to walk. Sirius looked at him for a moment and then quickly followed, with James and Peter behind them.  
  
"I'm sorry Remus; I don't know why I'm getting so worked up about this." Sirius admitted. "I don't care that your one and I wouldn't if she was really one, but there's still something. I'm sorry mate but there is."  
  
Remus knew it was a lot to take in about the whole wolf thing, and his friends had excepting him, but he had always thought that they would feel the same about anyone else. But even when he thought about it, he wasn't really sure if he would want to meet another. He was asking a lot of them he knew. 


	6. Preparing for the Gower Ball

Preparing for the Gower Ball  
  
Nissa slept with her white hair and eyes, because she still wasn't completely herself. The next morning though before she even left her dorm she changed back, Lily was very impressed having never seen anybody do anything like that before. Lily was the only one with her; the other three had gone down to breakfast before them.  
  
"Can ask. well." Lily tried to ask.  
  
"Only because you're not like the others." Nissa said smiling. "What do you want, red." And she changed her hair to a beautiful fiery red which suited her so much better. "Blue." Her hair changed to blue, which made her long cold and sad but she still carried off her strong aura that always shun around, but it wasn't as strong as it had been with red, as though the fiery colour itself empower her even more. "Purple." She changed move then her hair this time, her eyes and nails and also her skin, they all changed to different colours of purple; it looked so natural that it belonged to her. "I can do a lot more, but not all at once hey?"  
  
Lily smiled and they both walked out together. "Does it hurt, you know when you change?"  
  
"No it does." Nissa answered. "I just think what I want to change into and I change, but it doesn't hurt."  
  
"What about when you don't look like yourself, you change everything?" Lily asked.  
  
Nissa stopped at the bottom of the stairs there were only a hand full of people in the room, the rest had gone down for breakfast already. Sirius, James, Remus and Peter were there talking among themselves, they stopped when they saw the two of them. Nissa smiled at them and walked over with Lily.  
  
"Thanks, I mean for last night." Nissa said to Sirius.  
  
"So what can you change into?" James asked before Sirius could say anything back to her.  
  
"Don't be so rued." Lily shot at him.  
  
Nissa smiled and then changed, she looked just like James right down to the mischievous smile painted across his face.  
  
"Now that's cool." James said.  
  
"I don't think I can hardly two James'." Lily said smiling at the real James.  
  
Nissa changed back into herself, but she didn't do anymore request and they didn't ask her. Though quit a few other people did when it got around that she was a Metamorphmagus, Severus was quit unmoved by the whole thing, well he had already known considering he had known her since she was four years old. (Not that they have been friends all that time though.)  
  
It was coming up to Christmas, Remus looked tired still after the last full moon, and they had all dropped the subject about Nissa. Well they had more important thing's to be working on and that was choosing an animal which they could change into and start leaning how they could do that without any teacher's help.  
  
They hadn't been getting very far, en-fact when ever they tried nothing happened, and Sirius was getting quit frustrated but they all thought that had something to do with the fact that it was almost Christmas.  
  
"I wish Christmas was over and done with this year." Nissa moodily, as Michael smiled at her from across the table next to James. Nissa ignored him, she wasn't in the smiling mood, and wasn't interested in anyone who was.  
  
"Christmas is the best time of year." Michael told her.  
  
"Post is here." Natalie announced.  
  
"I'm going." Nissa told them.  
  
Lily grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her back down to her seat. "N you're not, nothing's come since that day, I don't see why you're so bored."  
  
A large package fell right in front of Sirius knocking his plate to the floor, and almost Remus' as well but he pulled it out of the way quickly.  
  
"Well that's a big one." James stated.  
  
Ella started to laugh making everyone look at her wondering why she was laughing, Lily and Nissa couldn't help them selves and started to laugh as well. They all looked at the three of them and then at one another completely confused.  
  
"So what's so funny?" Andy asked, Michael's friend.  
  
"Haven't a clue." Michael admitted.  
  
Sirius started to unripe his package smirking, but then the smile vanished from his face as he pulled out black robes with silver embroidering on them. Nissa stopped laughing as she looked over to see what Sirius had gotten (from his big package.).  
  
"She still wants me to go, and wearing them." Sirius said disgusted with what he held in his hand and then threw the robes onto the table landing in all the food.  
  
Nissa picked up his robes and stood up holding them out, Sirius didn't even bore to take them back.  
  
"These aren't that bad, I could have a go at them if you like." Nissa offered, though he didn't even look up at her.  
  
"You're going to shout at them?" Ella asked trying not to start laughing again.  
  
"You know what I mean." Nissa told Ella and then sat back facing Sirius, making sure that none of the food off the robes touched her. "After I've finished with them they'll look better then new."  
  
"I don't want to go, no matter what I'm wearing." Sirius shot at her.  
  
"Yes well, neither do I, but I'm still going." Nissa shot back at him.  
  
"Well I'm not." Michael told them, though no one was listening to him.  
  
"Sirius if you don't like them after I've finished with them you don't have to wear them." Nissa told him, but before he had even answered her she went on as though he had already agreed and turned back to Lily. "These will look great, even better then any of those other's I've already done. I've better get started tonight."  
  
"When did I agree?" Sirius asked James, who smiled at him.  
  
"You don't say no to her." Michael told them.  
  
Sirius glared at him and then looked over at Nissa, hoping that she wouldn't look too closely at the robes, or make a big show out of them.  
  
Three days after Sirius robes had arrived and Nissa was still working on them, along with quit a few others as well. Lily was sat next to her trying to do her Potions essay which Nissa had some how already finished.  
  
"How do you do it?" Lily asked her. "I mean, you've already done a couple of dozen robes for loads of different people and you're still at it. And you're not even behind on any of work."  
  
"She's Superwoman." Ella said smiling.  
  
Nissa looked up at her, as did Natalie and Polly, none of them had heard the term before.  
  
"A what?" Nissa asked.  
  
"A woman with super human power's." Lily explained. "She's from a film, a muggle thing."  
  
"Oh right, well I have magic, so does that court?" Nissa asked.  
  
"Well it does if you can the world with them." Ella told her.  
  
Nissa smiled and then held up Sirius' robes, they were still black and still had silver embroider.  
  
"Sirius!" Nissa shouted over to him.  
  
Sirius looked up and over at her, as did quit a few other people.  
  
"Will you try this on?" Nissa asked him. "I want to make sure it fits and looks alright, considering that you wouldn't let me take your measurements." And added more to her friends sat around her then to Sirius. "It's not as though I've never done it before, I've been designing and making for years. Anyone would think that I was asking him to take his clothes off or something."  
  
They all started to laugh, Sirius had heard the whole thing and had gone brick red, though it didn't help that nearly everyone in the common room was laughing at him.  
  
Nissa got up and walked over to him pushed the robes into his lap.  
  
"Come on, I'll never ask you to do anything else." Nissa promised and then whispered to Remus. "Not this year anyway."  
  
"It's only a couple of week off now anyway." Remus said smiling.  
  
Sirius started to grumble as he stood up and looked at the robes. "They look just the same."  
  
"Just put them on already." Nissa ordered. "And anyway, if you don't like what I've done to this, I've done you a couple more."  
  
Sirius was just about to put it and flung it back down on his seat. "I'll have one of the other ones."  
  
"What?" Nissa said a little taken back.  
  
"You said that you did a couple of others, I'll have one of them." Sirius told her.  
  
"O.okay." Nissa said slowly. 


	7. The Gower Ball

The Gower Ball  
  
Sirius was sat with Matt, Davis and Harvey on the train home for Christmas, he wasn't in a very good mood, when the door opened and a girl walked in.  
  
"You know what I've heard?" Bertha Jenkins asked.  
  
"I don't really want to know." Sirius told her.  
  
"Well I'm going to tell you anyway." Bertha informed him.  
  
"Then what was the point in asking us?" Sirius said.  
  
Bertha smiled at him and then went on. "Well Michael, you know captain of our Quidditch very handsome, who all the girls like. Well some think that your quit handsome as well."  
  
"What? What are you talking about?" Sirius asked. "Who thinks that?"  
  
"Well, Nissa Tiania the new Chaser which going out with him. Some are saying that the two of you are really going out." Bertha went on.  
  
"Their not going out." Davis told her. "Their normally at each others throats, and then the next minute their friends, not going out."  
  
"Well if you say so." Bertha said as she walked out.  
  
"What the hell was that all about?" Harvey asked them.  
  
"No idea." Sirius answered. "She's always in everyone's business."  
  
Nothing eventful happened for the rest of the journey back to platform 9 ¾. They all got off on the other side and made their way though to meet their parents.  
  
"Bye." Nissa said quickly as she spotted Infidus and didn't want anyone seeing her with him. She quickly walked off without waiting for a reply and disappeared in to the crowd.  
  
Sirius also didn't want to be seen with his parents; well he didn't want his friends hearing what they would say about them.  
  
"Hoped I've forgotten about you?" His mother said of way of greeting. "If it was anything else then this I would have. Look at you, associating with these mud-bloods."  
  
"Can we go?" Sirius said through gritted teeth and started to walk off before she even answered him.  
  
She followed him not because she wanted to but because she couldn't stand being around all of the muggles, and half breads.  
  
Sirius spent most of the time up in his room out of the way; Keacher brought him his food up because he wouldn't go downstairs and sit with his family while they insulted everyone he knew. The day before Christmas Eve he received an owl, and this time he knew who it belonged.  
  
Dear Sirius,  
I'm just writing to make sure that you're still coming, to make sure there's going to be a friendly face. See you tomorrow, can't wait to see what you look like in the new robes.  
  
From Nissa.  
  
Sirius smiled slightly to himself as he finished the letter, she was looking forward to seeing him, that made him feel better and knowing she that there was going to be a friendly face as well.  
  
Sirius dressed the next night and went downstairs in his new robes, long midnight blue which simmered in the light changing into different shades; and embroidered with silver with the Gryffindor lion in silver on his lapel. He walked down the stairs' taking his time.  
  
"Sirius hurry up!" His mother shouted up the stairs' at him.  
  
"Come along now." His father said as he came in sight.  
  
Sirius stopped at the bottom step as they all looked at him, his mother was disgusted when she saw the Gryffindor lion, she wouldn't have been bored if he hadn't had that.  
  
"Ready to go?" Sirius asked.  
  
"What is that?" His father asked him.  
  
Sirius looked down at where he was pointing, even though he already knew and smiled.  
  
"It's a lion." Sirius answered. "A very noble creature wouldn't you say."  
  
"Why can't you be more like your brother?" His mother spat at him.  
  
Regulus straighten at his name being mentioned and followed his father into the living. Mr Black took one last look at his eldest son and then went into the living. Sirius took a deep breath and then followed them. They all stood in front of the grand fire place and one by one they went to the Ball, to his doom.  
  
Sirius stumbled out of the fire place on the other side, his mother clean Regulus from the ash but didn't even bother with Sirius. There were a couple of people dotted around in dress robes, and two man on either side of the door as though there for security.  
  
"We enter together and we leave together, that's all." Mr Black told him. "Now come along."  
  
Sirius bushed himself off and followed his father as they enter the ball room, the door's opened magical inwards and they all walked in as a family on the outside.  
  
There were dozen's of people already here, and most looked as though they were his families type of people, he wondered how Nissa could be apart of something like this, and didn't blame Mr and Mrs Potter for not wanting to come.  
  
Sirius separated from his family as soon as he could, he knew that they didn't to introduce him to anyone, and he didn't want to be either. He wanted to find Nissa.  
  
Severus stepped out of the fire and Nissa. He was dressed in long black layered robes, all in black. Nissa though didn't have any black, she wore sapphire and topaz coloured robes and her hair down, tonight long above her waste and red.  
  
Infidus was stood next to his wife and Mr and Mrs Snape who were glaring at one another, Infitus walked over to them and started talking to Severus pulling him away from Nissa. They all enter the Ball together, with Nissa right at the back of them all.  
  
"I'll introduce you to a couple of people I know." Infitus was saying to Severus as Nissa stayed by the door looking around the room.  
  
Nissa stood there for a couple of minutes looking through the sea of people before her, a couple of young men had come over to ask her to dance but she had said no to them all. Then she spotted him, she walked pass the next man coming over to ask her to dance and walked straight over to Sirius.  
  
She stopped behind him smiling knowing that he didn't know she was there.  
  
"You look better then even I could have imaged." Nissa said softly.  
  
Sirius spun around at the sound of her voice, hoping against hope that it was really her, that she had come to save him and him her from this tortured nightmare.  
  
Nissa smiled at him, but it wasn't her normal blinding smile, it still made him want to do anything she asked of him, but this this was much softer. He couldn't do anything but stare at her; with her long red hair and those dream like eyes, eyes burning even brighter then the fire which reflected in them. And who she was dressed, she looked like a Queen a Goddess, he didn't deserve someone like her.  
  
Nissa stopped smiling when he never returned the smile, and looked at him questioningly as though wondering if she had done something wrong.  
  
"If you're not going to dance with the beautiful lady then I will." Regulus said walking up behind her and grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her onto the dance floor.  
  
Sirius was still in shock, but he wasn't for long as he grabbed hold of his brother and pulled him off of Nissa.  
  
"Sirius, what do you think you're doing?" Mrs Black demanded through gritted teeth, and then she looked at Nissa. "If Regulus wants to dance with this witch then he can, stay away from her. Why don't you stick with your little half-bread mud-blood friends?"  
  
Nissa looked at Sirius as his pledging him to do something, he just stared at her.  
  
"Sirius." Nissa said. She took hold of his hand enraging Regulus and walked off with him, through the crowd of people and out onto one of the empty balconies.  
  
Sirius pulled away from her and stood with his back to her looking moodily over the city below them.  
  
"Sirius." Nissa said as if pledging him to turn round and look at her.  
  
"I shouldn't have come; they wouldn't have care if I didn't." Sirius said suddenly.  
  
"I would have." Nissa said quietly.  
  
Sirius still didn't look at her; he couldn't bring himself to face her after what his mother had said in front of her. But Nissa took a deep breath and then stepped forward to stand by his side.  
  
"I'm not going to say that I'm sorry that you have a family like that, because I know that would upset you even more." Nissa told him. "Though I will say this. It doesn't matter what their like, as long as your yourself, you can't help the family you're chosen into. We can only make ourselves who we want to be."  
  
Nissa raped her arm around his and then rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Sirius rested his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes listening to her words play over and over again in his head.  
  
They stood there for about five minutes without saying a word not really needing too, as though everything which had needed to be said was.  
  
"Can you dance?" Nissa asked him, she didn't open her eyes or even take her head off his shoulder, but he did.  
  
"What?" Sirius said startled. "I don't, I don't dance."  
  
Nissa let go of him and looked up into his eyes and smiled at him.  
  
"You don't or you don't know how?" Nissa asked. "we don't have to dance in there."  
  
The music floated outside through the open doors, as Nissa put his left hand on her waste and took his right hand in hers. She smiled softly up at him as he started to blush, as she begun to lead them. They moved across the balcony to the music that was playing inside as though it was only playing for them. He let her lead until her had gotten the hang of it and then he lead as though he had been dancing his whole life, he spun her out and then caught her in his arms as she came back to him.  
  
They seemed to have been dancing for hours, they danced slowly in one another arms as the music changed. Nissa rested her head on his chest as though she was finally at peace and was safe from the world around her, and he also felt it as he softly rested his head on hers.  
  
The doors' slung back hitting the walls making both Sirius and Nissa jumped and turn around stood in the door was Infidus with his wand out pointed at them both.  
  
"What are you doing?" Nissa asked him.  
  
Infidus never took his eyes of either of them, as he walked over and grabbed Nissa by the arm and grigged her away as she pulled against him.  
  
"What the hell do you think your doing? Let go of her." Sirius shouted at him pulling out his own wand.  
  
Infidus stopped and smiled cruelly at them both, as Nissa looked up at him.  
  
"Don't be stupid, she isn't worth all that you think." Infidus said softly and pulled her away.  
  
Sirius was pulled back by his father, he pulled against him as hard as he could but his father was much stronger then he was and pulled him back outside.  
  
"Do one thing I ask of you, and that is to stay away from her." He told him.  
  
"What? No." Sirius shouted at him, trying to pull his arm away from his father.  
  
"Do you even know who she is?" He asked Sirius.  
  
"She is too good for you." His mother told him as she walked out onto the balcony. "For to good for the likes of you, but if we're lucky Regulus who up holds the family name would be much more suited."  
  
"She isn't like you, she doesn't care for purebloods and all that crap!" Sirius shot at them before he realised what he was saying.  
  
"Of course, you just keep telling yourself that." His mother told him as she led in and looked as though she knew so much more about her then he did.  
  
"You're wrong!" Sirius shouted and ran back into the Ball and out to the fire place and back home again. He finally stopped when he was back in his living room, which was pitch black part from the fire.  
  
Sirius wondered if his mother was right, he didn't know anything about her, what did he really know about her. Part from the fact that she had made him fall for the very moment they had met. Then he started to think hard tried to think what he knew about her. Yes he knew she was a Pureblood and was brought up by the Manus family a family not unlike his own, she was Metamorphmagus, she had a beautiful smile, and she was affected by the full moon.  
  
"Stupid! Damn it!" Sirius shouted as kicked the table over and stormed out of the room pushing Keacher out of his way as he went up to his room.  
  
He slammed the door shut and slung himself down on his bed.  
  
"I don't care!" Sirius shouted into the night.  
  
'Can you hear me?' a voice asked inside of his head.  
  
Sirius sat bolt up right, thinking that well he wasn't sure what he was thinking.  
  
"Can you hear me?' the voice asked again.  
  
Sirius knew the voice and answered it, but not out loud but with his thoughts, 'yes'.  
  
'Can you hear me?'  
  
'Can you feel me in your arms?'  
  
Sirius wondered only for a moment what she meant, when he felt her as though she was there with him. He lay back on his back with her in his arms, all his thoughts and anger dieing away as he fell asleep with her safely in his arms. 


	8. Wands out at the Ready

Wands out at the Ready  
  
Sirius didn't wake up until the following afternoon, which part of him had wished that he could have slept on instead on getting up to what awaited him down stairs. As he was getting dressed he kept looking around the room as if half excepting to see her stood there, so that he could take her in his arms again and just let the world around him carry on while he stayed with her. He knew he was being stupid, but it was something to hold onto while he had to stay at home; he wasn't even sure if he classed it as his home anymore, because normal wouldn't your home be with your family and people who cared about you. He wasn't even sure if they were really his family, because they were so different, and he didn't care about them nor did they as a family should, so is this really his home?  
  
Sirius stayed up in his room as long as he could, he passed the time by opening the presents his best mates had sent him. James had sent him, a box full of caldron cakes, and telling him not to eat them all at once. Remus had sent him a box of chocolate frogs. Sirius had smiled to himself when he opened them, (he didn't really think that he ate that much.) And Peter had sent him and box of every flavoured beans, Sirius thought that it was a good try.  
  
"Sirius!" His mother shouted up to him at tea time.  
  
Sirius slowly made his way downstairs and down to the kitchen where the rest of his family was sat waiting for him, well they had started before he had arrived but Keacher was still severing.  
  
Sirius sat down at the end of the table next to Andromeda, who had been the only one who had smiled at him.  
  
"Sleeping in all day in such a waste, I can think of so many better things to do with my time." Bellatrix told him as she took another bite of her turkey. "Though I do wish I could have seen you make a fool out of yourself last night, but I never saw you."  
  
"But we did see that Chaser girl, the one who's going out with Fuller." Narcissa stated.  
  
"And which Chaser girl is this then?" His mother asked glaring at him.  
  
"I think she's called Tiania." Bellatrix said thoughtfully. "She's in Gryffindor, though gets on quit well with some of our lot. But that might have something to do with her being a Manus."  
  
"Ah, this would be Nissa wouldn't the girl from last night." Mrs Black said smiling down the table. "She's going out with someone, well what was last night all about then?"  
  
"I thought she was going out with Severus my self the way they were, but no she's going out with that self absorbed mud-blood." Bellatrix added angrily.  
  
"I told you she isn't what you think." Mrs Black told him. "She is a Pureblood, of noble blood just like our own. She's see the way before long, or made to see the way, you see. We much better then that filth who dare call themselves witches and wizards, their nothing, just half-breed scrum not even worthy of the magic in their blood."  
  
"Their kind is destroying us." Mr Black said and then added proudly. "But our family the Black family, the noblesse and one of the great lasting pure families will live on as we have always done."  
  
Sirius just sat there trying not to listen because he had heard this speech more times then he cared to remember, though each time he heard he wanted to shout back, and tell them what he really thought about them and everything. But he didn't dare, there was some lines he didn't cross with them.  
  
"I saw her last night, you don't deserver someone like her." Regulus told him. "She looked like a Queen and you next to her. well."  
  
"See your brother has it right, why can't you be like him, like a real son?" Mrs Black shot at him.  
  
He had had enough; he pushed his chair back and shouted. "I don't want to be like him or like any of you, you all disgust me." Then he turned to his brother. "It's you, who doesn't deserver to look at her, stay the hell away from her, all of you!"  
  
And with that he stormed out of the room banging on every step, and slamming every door he went pass, though they just carried on eating and talking as though he had never said anything or even left the table. Sirius slammed his bedroom door shut and then kicked the door of the wardrobe which broke off its hinges.  
  
"I'll never be like them! Never!" Sirius shouted furiously.  
  
When he had finally calmed himself enough he wrote asking well more telling Professor McGonagall that he was coming back to school early, he didn't tell her way he just told her that he was coming back.  
  
Professor McGonagall had just returned to her office and sat on the desk was an owl waiting for her with a letter, she cross the room and took the letter from the owl which flew back out again.  
  
Professor McGonagall, I'm just writing to tell you that I wish to come back to school early; I'll be back as soon as I can get there. Sirius Black  
  
McGonagall was quit surprised by the letter, she didn't mind him coming back early even if he didn't tell her why, but she would have preferred if he would have asked. She took the letter and went straight to see Professor Dumbledore to tell him that Mr Black was coming back early, though he didn't seem very surprise about it, as though he knew that it was going to happen. And then she went up to the Gryffindor common room to inform his friends that he was coming back early.  
  
Next morning Sirius arrived back at the school, he dragged his truck up the stairs in the entrance and came face to face with none other then Professor Dumbledore himself, who smiled kindly down at him.  
  
"Did you enjoyed the Ball? I myself could not attend, though I don't think I was missed by many." Dumbledore told him.  
  
Sirius shifted in his place and then dropped his truck and shouted at the headmaster. "No, why the held did I have to go, I didn't have to, and they wouldn't have even missed me."  
  
"Sometimes we all must do something which we do not wish to do." Dumbledore told him calmly as though Sirius had only whispered to him. "But even out of those intense we always gain something which we didn't have before."  
  
Sirius didn't really understand, what had he gain, a bigger gap between him and his family?  
  
"Did Miss Tiania enjoy herself? I do believe she was the only other Gryffindor to go?" Dumbledore asked softly. "I do believe that she does prefer to be called Tiania rather then Manus, which shows us all a lot about her, even if we know nothing else."  
  
Sirius only understood one thing Dumbledore had said to him, and that was what he had gained. He had gain Nissa, he wasn't sure what as; as a friend or more he wouldn't know until he saw her, but that had been what he had gained.  
  
"She is quit an interesting young lady, which I believe quit a few other student's have also pocked up on; well the lads more then the girls of course." Dumbledore went on breaking into his thoughts. "She I believe is one of those great mysteries which we spend our whole lives trying to figure out, though still never fully understanding." And with that Dumbledore smiled and then walked away leaving Sirius quit confused, which he thought was better then being anger.  
  
Sirius slowly made his way up to the common room, trying to thinking about what Dumbledore had said to him, though it just seemed to confuse him even more. He climbed through the portrait hole and there waiting for him was his best mates, they rushed over and James and Remus grabbed hold of his truck and carried it up to their room for him.  
  
They all sat down on their beds while Sirius flung himself onto his very glad to be home.  
  
"So what happened?" James asked.  
  
"Torture, I walked out." Sirius told them as he lay down and rested his head on his pillows.  
  
"You walked out of the Ball?" Remus asked. "You left Nissa alone there?"  
  
Sirius sat bolt up right. "No I didn't leave her; I wouldn't have left her there alone with that lot. And anyway she left before I did."  
  
"Oh, so family." James said, he knew that Sirius didn't get along with his family though he had never really told them everything and it never did really seem like the right time to ask him about them either.  
  
"It was like the whole time they just wanted to lecture me." Sirius told them. "Oh, then when they did might Nissa. They went all weird."  
  
"What do you mean?" James asked.  
  
"Well their friends of course with the Manus', though that's a thought isn't." Sirius said. "Why did I never meet her before we started at school?"  
  
"Maybe they didn't want the two of you mixing, encouraging each other." Remus suggested.  
  
"Yeah she isn't really your typical Manus now is she?" James added.  
  
"I would know, I never meet either, or really heard much about them." Peter told them.  
  
"Then you need to get out more." Sirius told him, James and Remus laughed. "They liked her, now I've got a job on my hands to keep them away from her."  
  
"Well you've got no trouble with doing that here, but what about back home?" James asked. "What are the two of you going to do, runaway?"  
  
Sirius thought about this, wondering if they could really do it, Remus caught on.  
  
"Don't be so stupid Sirius, he wasn't being serious." Remus told him firmly. "Your still at school, it'll be fine, it's only a couple of weeks a year you have to spend with them."  
  
"Yeah and you don't really need to spend the whole time with them, you can stay at my house. Mum and dad don't mind." James told him.  
  
"Thanks mate." Sirius said he felt somewhat better hearing that, that he had somewhere else to go if he needed to.  
  
Remus changed into a werewolf missing the New Year, but was him self again by the time everyone had come back. Sirius didn't see Nissa when she had come back, even at breakfast before class on their first morning, he was getting worry thinking that she was avoiding him; because he knew she was back or someone would have said something.  
  
James was stood at the door to History of Magic talking to Sirius, while he was doing the talking while Sirius just stood there.  
  
"Has he taken up to following you about school?" Bella asked.  
  
"I can't believe you think that's sweet." Lily said, and then added quickly. "There he is."  
  
Sirius was turning round to look who they were talking as was Remus who also had his back on the crowd, just as Nissa walked straight into Sirius. He grabbed hold of her so that she wouldn't stumble back.  
  
As Sirius touched her it was as though she dropped all her barriers, she looked up at him and then saw the look of shock and horror on his face.  
  
"What do you think your doing? Get your hands off my girlfriend." Michael demanded as walked over with half a dozen of his mates behind him.  
  
Nissa stepped back and Sirius let her but he didn't take his eyes off of her, even if she had changed so he couldn't see what she looked like. Michael put his arm around her and pulled her closer, making her wince in pain. Sirius wanted to shouted, so many things were screaming around in his head.  
  
"Not now." Nissa said as she pushed him away slightly.  
  
She smiled softly at him and then quickly turned and went into the classroom with her friends. But as soon as they had passed James, Sirius, Remus and Matt closed ranks so that Michael and his friends couldn't get in.  
  
Michael finally left with his friends, and they went into class, where of course no one paid any attention to Professor Bins droning on with himself.  
  
"Are you alright?" Lily asked her. "I mean, you seem different since you've come back."  
  
"I'm fine really." Nissa reassured them all.  
  
"Didn't you see her face and neck?" Sirius whispered.  
  
"No, Why?" James asked.  
  
"Didn't you?" Sirius asked Remus, who shuck his head; he didn't bore to ask Peter. "She looked as though she had been beaten, d you think that Infidus guy hits her?"  
  
"Sirius mate, I didn't see anything and neither did Remus." James told him. "And she doesn't really seem the type to just stand there while someone hits her now does she?"  
  
"That isn't the point." Sirius said a little louder then he had met to making a couple of people look over.  
  
"What are they up to now?" Lily asked suspiciously.  
  
"We're not up to anything." James reassured her.  
  
Nissa didn't look over at them, because she knew that Sirius had seen her, and that he had told his friends when she hadn't even told hers. She spent the rest of the day avoiding both Michael and Sirius, though of course she couldn't really hide from either of them; she was in the same class as Sirius and Michael was in the same house as she was.  
  
Tuesday lunch Michael finally caught up with her in the library when she had left her friends at their study table to find a book, he pulled her down one of the large dark bookshelves which no one ever went down.  
  
Michael went to kiss her but Nissa pulled away to leave, Michael grabbed hold of her wrist so Nissa stopped and turned around; but he still wouldn't let go of her.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I don't think this, us is working out." Nissa told him.  
  
"What? What are you talking about?" Michael asked her loudly. "Every girl in this school would love to be in your place."  
  
"Then why don't you ask one of them then." Nissa shot at him and walked off.  
  
"You can't do this to me!" Michael shouted after her, making everyone in the library look up wondering who had shouted.  
  
Nissa quickly walked away from him, not wanting anyone to find her there. She looked back over her shoulder for just a moment and walked straight into someone, though she knew who it was before she even saw his face.  
  
"What have you taken up blocking my way?" Nissa shot at him.  
  
Sirius stepped back as Nissa looked up at him and smiled shyly at him.  
  
"I'm sorry." She told him softly.  
  
"You know you would walk into me." Sirius started.  
  
2Yeah, I know if I looked where I was going." Nissa finished smiling at him, and stopped when he looked at her as did yesterday morning. "Don't look at me like that." She turned away from him.  
  
"I'm sorry, I don't mean too, its just." Sirius started but didn't really know what to say. He walked round so that he could see her. "I really don't mean too. Are you alright? I know that your not, but it just seems the right question to ask."  
  
Nissa smiled at him.  
  
"It wasn't my fault was it?" Sirius blurted out suddenly, but she didn't answer him.  
  
'Can you hear me?'  
  
Sirius stared at her, how did she do that?  
  
"Yes." Sirius answered and he stepped forward and raped his arms around her, though not so tightly encase he hurt her.  
  
Sirius didn't need to ask or question her, they were together she was going out him. Part of him couldn't wait to tell his mates, and Michael and Severus especially Severus; but the other part just wanted to keep her to him self as long as he could.  
  
Michael had told everyone that he had broken up with Nissa; he didn't want people knowing the truth of course. But Sirius knew better, and wasn't really bored; well for the fact that most thought that Michael was an idiot then for dumping her.  
  
"So why haven't you told anyone yet?" James asked at breakfast the following week.  
  
"What?" Sirius asked swallowing his mouth full.  
  
"You and Nissa?" James asked, and then smiled at Nissa when she looked over at him from talking with Remus.  
  
"Can I help you with something?" Nissa asked politely.  
  
"So I wonder who's next, I've heard quit a few guy's talking." Ella told her.  
  
"Nissa doesn't." Lily started.  
  
"Sirius." Nissa said simply, making everyone look at her.  
  
"Did you want him or is that your answer?" Natalie asked trying not to laugh, as Ella looked as though her dream of Sirius swiping her off her feet had just been crushed.  
  
"Both." Nissa said smiling, and then turned to Sirius. "Oh I've been meaning to tell you, don't tell Severus he might try and kill you."  
  
Sirius laughed at her. I think I can handle little Snivellus."  
  
At this both Remus and James started to laugh, but Nissa didn't and neither did Lily, though the others tried not to.  
  
"Snivellus?" Nissa asked. "You've named him Snivellus?"  
  
"Yeah you remember that time in Transfiguration? Well he will." Sirius told her, though he couldn't see that she wasn't impressed by this new piece of information but Remus could and stopped laughing. Sirius smiled as he took another bite of his sausage.  
  
"I don't believe it." Nissa said staring at them both.  
  
"I know its surprising isn't it how much he can eat." James said staring at Sirius.  
  
"Hey what's. that mean?" Sirius managed to ask in-between bites.  
  
"That isn't what I meant." Nissa told him.  
  
"You're so childish." Lily said as she stood up to leave with Nissa.  
  
Nissa left her notes with Remus as she left the hall.  
  
"Hey! Where are you going?" Sirius shouted after them, but when they never answered him he turned back to James and Remus as though he had just come up with the best plain in the world. "I think its about time that Snivellus finds out, don't you?"  
  
James smiled just like him, though Remus didn't, he remembered what he had done to Michael. But no matter what he would say he knew that they would still go ahead with what ever they were planning.  
  
Lily walked into the classroom behind Natalie; most of the Slytherin's were already there and one was heading straight for them, Severus Snape. He pushed pass her and grabbed hold of Nissa and pulled her off to the corner of the classroom so that he wouldn't be over heard.  
  
"Well that was rood." Lily said after him, but Severus just ignored her.  
  
"Maybe Sirius and James should do something to him." Polly suggested as she sat down next to Natalie.  
  
"Yeah course, we want a full scale war on our hands do we?" Lily asked her impatiently.  
  
"You know this is the third letter I've had since we've gotten back." Severus told her. "Infidus is looking for you, he said that his owl can't find you. Which is stupid of course considering your right here, and I told him that."  
  
Severus handed her the letter's which Nissa took and put in her pocket.  
  
"He did it again didn't he?" Severus said with disgusted. "You should have told me."  
  
"And what could you have done? I'm fine I can look after myself." Nissa told him, she didn't want to talk about this not now.  
  
"He shouldn't be aloud to get away with it." Severus told her firmly, and then fell silent.  
  
Sirius wrapped his arms around Nissa waist and smiled at Severus who looked as though he wanted to kill him.  
  
"You don't mind." Sirius said as he turned her around. He dipped her and kissed her passionately as the class cheered him on, Nissa couldn't help herself she kissed him back just as passionately. When he finally pulled away he just smiled at her with her still held in his arms, but he was cut short of another kiss.  
  
"I'm sure that can wait until after lesson time Mr Black." Professor Murray told him as he walked into the classroom.  
  
Sirius pulled her back up smiling at her; she couldn't help but smiled back at her as she started to walk off to her seat. But Severus grabbed hold of her and directed her towards his seat away from Sirius.  
  
"What are you doing?" Nissa asked as she sat and Severus sat next to her so she couldn't get out.  
  
"Are you mad; I know you're not stupid?" Severus said through gritted teeth.  
  
"He can't do that." Sirius said.  
  
"Now will you take your seat Mr Black." Professor Murray told him. "And I believe he can sit next to who ever he likes. Though I am quit surprised at it being a Gryffindor."  
  
"Just sit down." James hissed at him.  
  
"Yeah be a nice little boy and do what you're told." Severus tormented.  
  
Sirius pulled out his wand and pointed it directly at his heart, Severus pulled out his but Nissa stopped him before he could point it at Sirius instead coursing Professor Murray to turn into a sea slug.  
  
"Severus." Nissa said struggling still to get his wand off of him as he tried to turn back to Sirius as he tried to curse him, but missed; which was quit a good thing or it would have hit Nissa.  
  
James had gotten up as well at this Remus stood up, half the class started to try and curse the other.  
  
Nissa grabbed Severus' wand and climbed over him and shouted. "Expelloarmus!" Everyone's wand flew out of their hands and flew over and landed on the teacher's desk.  
  
"How?" Sirius asked.  
  
Nissa walked pass them all and reversed the teacher back to normal.  
  
"Twenty points from both houses." Murray shouted at them. "Never in all my years of teaching, never! Mister's Snape, Black, Potter and Lestrange detention every night this week."  
  
Everyone slowly sat back down, but Professor kept hold of their wands until the lesson was over. Nissa sat with Severus during the lesson to calm him down, which it took most of the day, but they had four lessons together which she had to sit with him to make sure that he didn't do anything else stupid.  
  
Nissa sat down with Lily for tea, while Sirius quickly swapped places with Remus.  
  
"After all that you still want to be his friend?" Sirius asked her annoyed.  
  
"I told you, but you still didn't listen." Nissa told him.  
  
"Yeah but you liked the kiss." James told her smiling.  
  
Nissa tried not to smile which was hard because she had liked the kiss, but it wasn't the point.  
  
"It's your own fault." Nissa told him as she turned back and started on her tea.  
  
"She's got intermit issues." Michael told them as he walked pass with his friends. "That's why I dumped her."  
  
"She didn't dump you, and you're only acting like that because she dumped you for me." Sirius shot at him.  
  
Michael mouthed at him but nothing came out he stormed off pushing his friends along with him.  
  
"Its not that I didn't want him to know, it was just that I wouldn't have minded telling him myself." Nissa told Sirius as though Michael had never stopped. "And I know that you wanted to tell him, because it was as though you had gotten one over on him."  
  
"It wasn't like that." Sirius reassured her quickly.  
  
"Yeah course, I'm not stupid." Nissa told him off handed and then took a bite of chicken. "I'm just warning; don't get on the wrong side of him."  
  
"Why were you talking to him this morning?" James asked her.  
  
"Yeah that was strange even for him." Lily said thoughtfully.  
  
Nissa didn't answer the question she just carried on eating, though they were all watching her.  
  
"Well?" Sirius prompted her.  
  
"It was just a letter from Infidus that's all." Nissa tried to say as off handed as she could.  
  
"But why would he write to Snape and not to you?" Remus asked her.  
  
"He knows doesn't he, about?" Sirius asked her angrily starting to get up. "That bastard's known forever and never did anything!"  
  
Nissa pulled Sirius back in his seat. "Leave it alone."  
  
"But." Sirius started.  
  
"But nothing, just leave it." Nissa told him.  
  
They all wanted to know what was going what was being said when it wasn't. James was annoyed because Sirius told him everything, he would find out later. 


	9. Monsters From Within Late Night delivery

Tourniquet  
  
I tired to kill the pain  
  
But only want more  
  
I lay dying  
  
And I'm pouring crimson regret and betrayal  
  
I'm dying praying bleeding and screaming  
  
Am I too lost to be saved  
  
Am I too lost?  
  
My god my tourniquet  
  
Return to me salvation  
  
My god my tourniquet  
  
Return to me salvation  
  
Do you remember me  
  
Lost for so long  
  
Will you be on the other side  
  
Or will you forget me  
  
I'm dying praying bleeding and screaming  
  
Am I too lost to be saved  
  
Am I too lost?  
  
My god my tourniquet  
  
Return to me salvation  
  
My god my tourniquet  
  
Return to me salvation  
  
My wounds cry for the grave  
  
My soul cries for deliverance  
  
Will I be denied Christ  
  
Tourniquet  
  
My suicide  
  
(Tourniquet, by Evanescence off the album fallen.)  
  
Monsters from Within/ Late Night Delivery  
  
The first patient didn't really go very well, Michael near enough ignored Nissa as though she wasn't even part of the team, and was very off with James as well because it was his best mate who was going out with her. Michael even went as far to hold James back at the end to have a go at him after everyone else had gone back up to the castle.  
  
"He was planning this the whole time wasn't he?" Michael demanded.  
  
"What?" James asked a little confused.  
  
"That jackass of a friend of yours." Michael spat at him.  
  
"He isn't a jackass; I think your talking about yourself there." James told him angrily. "If you had been that bored why did you dump her in the first place?"  
  
"You know full well what really happened." Michael said through gritted teeth. "I bet that you all had a great laugh about it afterwards didn't you?"  
  
"Get over yourself, will you?" James told him as he turned to go back to the castle.  
  
Michael was fuming, but he didn't go after him. James went straight up to the common room and told Sirius and Remus what had happened, Peter just sat there with his mouth open not really added his own comment.  
  
"That bastard has no right doing that." Sirius said outraged. "And he can't talk to you like that either."  
  
"What are you going to do then? Have a duel?" Remus asked off handled not really meaning it.  
  
"That's not a bad idea Remus." Sirius said thoughtfully.  
  
"I wasn't being serious." Remus told him firmly. "Have you completely lost it, he's four years older then you are?"  
  
"So what?" Sirius shot at him.  
  
"He can't get away with that." Sirius told them.  
  
"Who can't get away with what?" Nissa asked behind Sirius.  
  
Sirius spun around he hadn't realised she was there and wondered why Remus hadn't told him. Though he did realise something straight away; she wasn't in her robes, her hair was down and wet and she had a vest on with a pair of flared jeans.  
  
"Well...erm..." was all what came out Sirius' mouth when he saw her stood in front of him.  
  
"He was wondering when would be the best time to pick a duel with Michael." Remus answered her, Sirius shot him a look that he couldn't believe that he had just told her that.  
  
Nissa smiled taking both James and Sirius by surprise.  
  
"Well unless you want to end up in detention or worst the hospital wing, you might want to train up a bit first, it always helps of course." Nissa told him pleasantly.  
  
Sirius just looked at her speechless, which was quit strange because he normally had something to say for everything.  
  
"Well hopefully he'll listen to you, because he won't listen to me." Remus told her.  
  
"Well he'll either do the right thing or the stupid thing." Nissa said. "But either way I wouldn't mind knowing. Oh and if there is going to be a duel, let me know when and where it'll take place will you Remus?"  
  
She smiled at them all again and then walked back over to Lily an Natalie, and pulled out her books.  
  
"I don't think I was hearing right then, can you fill me on what just happened?" Sirius asked Remus and James.  
  
Remus smiled at him. "She isn't completely bored about the duel as long as you don't get yourself killed; and wanted to watch."  
  
"I thought so." Sirius said.  
  
"She's alright really isn't she?" James said cheerfully. "I think we'll all want a girlfriend like that."  
  
Sirius glared at him, but not really meaning too, James just laughed at him as Remus just watched them both from over the top of his book he had gone back too.  
  
***  
  
They were sat in the back of History of Magic, Remus the only one out of the four of them even trying to make notes as Professor Bins went on with himself as normal, they wondered if he would even noticed if they all just got up and walked out. Sirius had told them that one day before they leave that they'll have to try it; which of james agreed Remus only nodded thinking that they wouldn't really go that far by walking out of a class even this one, Peter agreed excitedly not really realising what he was agreeing too.  
  
"You know we should really decide on what animals we want to be able to change into; it'll make it a lot easier." James told them quietly.  
  
"What do you have in mind then?" Sirius asked, and then had an idea. "I could change into a wolf."  
  
"Don't be stupid." Remus hissed at him. "Do you want me to kill you?"  
  
"You wouldn't do that; you would never hurt any of us." Sirius told him.  
  
"Maybe a wolf isn't a good idea." James agreed as Remus was about to say something. "But something in the same family."  
  
"A dog." Remus said.  
  
"I'm not a dog; the girls don't think I'm a dog." Sirius told them bushing a hand through his hair as he looked over at Nissa, who was busy taking notes. "How can anyone listen to him?"  
  
"So Sirius is sorted." James went on.  
  
"And it goes with your name as well." Remus told him slightly smiling as Sirius turned back to him. "I mean Sirius; it means Dog Star, like a consolation."  
  
"Cool." Sirius said beaming at this news. "So I'm from the heavens above sent down below to show you mortals what you're missing."  
  
"Now look what you did, like he needed a bigger head." James said laughing, then they all burst out laughing making everyone turn around to look at them, but Professor Bins still went on as though nothing was happening.  
  
***  
  
Remus left them well before sunset of the night of the full moon, he had been feeling restless all day and couldn't get a control over, it had been even worst during their last lesson double Potions. Sirius was always distracted in this lesson because Nissa always partnered up with Severus, who loved it.  
  
But today was even different there had been something about the lesson, something about the people on the lesson they seemed different or had it just been him, because it was the full moon that night. There had been something, a want a great need he wanted from someone in that room; but who ever it had been could mask them selves from him so that he couldn't pick out who it was.  
  
"Is Remus alright?" Nissa asked Sirius was they sat down for breakfast.  
  
Remus had fallen into his seat and laid his head on his arms so that they couldn't see him, he looked quit beaten up and tired.  
  
"Yeah course." Sirius said, but looked down at his best mate beside him he didn't look at all well. They had tried to get him to stay in the hospital a little longer but he wouldn't have it.  
  
"I think your better at lying when the truth isn't sat right beside you screaming out." Nissa said as she grabbed a piece of toast.  
  
"I wasn't screaming." Remus said to Nissa and then added quietly to Sirius. "Was I?"  
  
"No mate." Sirius told him and patted him on the back as he lay his head back down.  
  
"You were though last night, and for the pass couple of nights." Ella told Nissa quietly but they still all heard.  
  
"I thought we decided that we wouldn't talk about it in here." Lily told her firmly.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Nissa asked slowly.  
  
"Probably just nightmares." Lily told her. "We all have them."  
  
"Yeah well mine aren't that bad." Ella said.  
  
"Yeah well everyone's different." Natalie added.  
  
Nissa didn't say anything else as she ate breakfast, Lily made sure that they didn't either; picking up that she didn't want to talk about it in front of everyone. Sirius though wanted to know, he knew that he couldn't really battle the demons in her sleep, but if she told him. People always say its better when you talk about them because then there out and you don't dream about them anymore. (Which he knew personal wasn't completely true, but it was nice to believe sometimes, just before your going to sleep.)  
  
Later that week they were given their option's for the third year, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter decided to take all the same subject's. They were all sat in the common room talking about what to take.  
  
Lily looked over at Nissa. "How will you manage all that? You already have loads to do."  
  
"I'll be fine." Nissa reassured her.  
  
"You'll run yourself into the ground that's what you'll do." Lily told her. "There isn't even enough time in the day to do everything."  
  
"Didn't you hear Lil's she's studying time travel?" James told her smiling.  
  
"Don't be so stupid that's illegal." Lily told him firmly.  
  
"People can really travel through time, like in the films and books and everything?" Ella asked excitedly.  
  
"Their not aloud, that's why it's illegal." Lily told her.  
  
"It would be fun though wouldn't it?" James said thoughtfully with a look of excitement plastered across his face.  
  
Sirius slid off his chair and moved over to Nissa to see which lesson's she had taken.  
  
"If you do them all, we won't have any time to ourselves." Sirius told her.  
  
"He has got a soft side after all, ow." Remus said smiling lending on his elbow looking at Sirius dreamily.  
  
Sirius flew the cushion at him which he dodged and hit Peter instead almost knocking him off his chair because he hadn't been paying attention.  
  
"I can always make the time." Nissa told Sirius as she took the other cushion from him before he flew that one as well.  
  
"Knock it off." Sirius said roughly to Remus who was now laughing at him.  
  
"See even Nissa thinks that time travel is a good idea." James told Lily as though that settled the matter.  
  
"She never said anything of the sort." Lily shot at James who was smiling at her.  
  
Sirius grabbed hold of her legs suddenly and pulled them on top of hers, making her fall back slightly knocking one of her books to the ground.  
  
"You should put your feet up more, and relax. It wouldn't kill you." Sirius told her, and then spotted all of her completed homework. "You've finished all that homework already? I haven't even started. That's it."  
  
He lead forward and grabbed hold of all her books and throw them onto the table with James Remus and Peter, scaring peter half to death as they all bang in front of him.  
  
"Well that's a lot of use now that I've finished it all." Nissa told him smiling as she got comfy with her feet on his lap.  
  
***  
  
It was the week before the exam's started; the full moon was almost upon them again.  
  
Severus received an owl that morning from Infidus, he was getting quit annoyed with him writing every other day checking up on them all; but today was different.  
  
Dear Severus,  
Won't you keep an eye on our lovely Tiania, I think the beast within might be making an appearance tonight.  
  
Infidus Manus  
  
Severus read the letter through a couple of times; even Lestrange read the letter as well over his shoulder. Severus was a little confused at what it might mean, he didn't see her as a monster or a beast, she was always his support the one who always made sure that he didn't fall to far. But there was a part of him that wanted to see her dark side and fall together into the darkness.  
  
"We'll have to find her and tell her." Severus told Lestrange, he knew what he had to do, but didn't really want to do it.  
  
"No, I wouldn't mean seeing her." Lestrange told him smiling. "That would be something. You can't tell me that you've never wondered what it would be like."  
  
Severus didn't answer him but Lestrange knew him to well, they weren't going to tell her, both were quit looking forward to the night.  
  
Over at the Gryffindor table Ella was questioning Nissa again, because her nightmares had seemed to have started again, but Nissa was trying ignore her and eat instead.  
  
Sirius was half listening as he ate his way through his own breakfast and then Remus' as well because he was hungry.  
  
"You know you should eat more." Sirius told Remus as he finished off his last slice of bacon.  
  
"I think you eat enough for the both of us." Remus told him smiling.  
  
Nissa grabbed hold of Sirius' hand suddenly making him look up at her; she gave him a piecing look which made him forget about everyone else in the hall part from her next to him.  
  
Sirius was still in daze when they were leaving the hall; he followed close behind Nissa making his friends run after him. James stopped him at the bottom on the stairs and brought him round to his senses though he hadn't even realised that anything had happened.  
  
"What's up?" Sirius asked as they all looked at him, and then he started to walk. "Are you lot coming?"  
  
Remus and James looked at one another and then followed him up to class, he was quit normal for the rest of the day, and they even planned to go out that night as well.  
  
Lily was putting her robe away when an owl flew through the window, it flew past her and landed on Nissa's bed they both knew who it belonged to; Infidus. Natalie, Polly and Ella had already gone to bed and were already asleep which they were both grateful for.  
  
Nissa reluctantly took the letter and the owl flew off into the night, she opened it. The parchment cut through her hand and a blood like liquid spilled out and into the wound.  
  
"Are you alright?" Lily asked quickly coming over to her.  
  
Nissa nodded and pulled out the letter and they read together.  
  
Monsters calling my name  
  
Let me stay  
  
Dying praying bleeding and screaming  
  
Too lost to be saved  
  
"What the hell does that mean?" Lily asked her.  
  
"Haven't a clue." Nissa admitted. "Maybe I should write back, I haven't since Christmas, maybe he's really pissed off with me in a strange sort of way. I'm not looking forward to going home though."  
  
"Well what are you going to say?" Lily asked her.  
  
"Not sure, but I should write tonight." Nissa said grabbing hold of her robe and pulling over the top of her pyjamas.  
  
"Tonight." Lily said. "But we're not aloud out now."  
  
"I'm not asking you to come with me, just don't tell anyone." Nissa told her.  
  
"I can't really let you go alone now can I?" Lily said and went to get her robe as well and they set out for the owlery.  
  
Severus ha done a locating spell to keep track of Nissa all day, as soon as they saw her leaving Gryffindor tower they went out to find her, but what they didn't know is that she wasn't alone, and they weren't the only ones out of bed that night.  
  
(In fact there were eight student's out of bed, roaming the school at the dead of night, well it wasn't that dead of course.)  
  
Nissa and Lily managed to get up to the owlery and write a letter to Infidus without running into Severus of Lestrange. Severus in fact was getting quit annoyed that he just quit missing her and wondered how she was doing it, she couldn't know the castle better then he could, could she?  
  
They were finally catching up to her, Severus had started to run with Lestrange at his side, but they went the wrong way and came face to face with Peeves. Not such a good thing at night or any time of the day.  
  
"Oh look at this greasy haired little student's out of bed." Peeves teased them.  
  
Severus glowed at him and tried to get passed him.  
  
"The greasy haired git didn't like that, maybe he should wash his hair then." Peeves told him.  
  
"Come on Severus, leave that piece of trash for another time." Lestrange told him pulling Severus along.  
  
Peeves smiled at them both then took a deep breath. "Student's out of bed!"  
  
Severus and Lestrange ran the way they had just come as quickly as they could, they could hear hurried foot steps coming their way. All eight of them had heard peeves, and they all thought that it had been them who had been caught, they all started to run.  
  
Lily and Nissa were running along a dark corridor which they had never had a lesson on, they could feet behind them but didn't dare to look back. Nissa saw an open door she grabbed Lily and pulled her inside and then locked the door. Lily fell into the class holding her side.  
  
Nissa swung around as she heard someone behind her, she knew someone was there, she could feel them, they were so close, but where were they.  
  
"There's someone else in here." Nissa told Lily.  
  
Lily looked at her in debrief. "How can there be, I can't see anyone."  
  
"That doesn't mean that there isn't someone else here does it?" Nissa said as she walked forward to where she thought they were.  
  
She moved forward she knew they were there, the table moved as though someone was moving it out of the way, but not quick enough.  
  
"Awe!"  
  
"Agh!"  
  
Lily screamed as the tables moved and Nissa fell to the ground and four boys appeared out of no where.  
  
"Get off me." Sirius glowed at Peter pushing him off his legs.  
  
James quickly got to his feet pushing the desk out of his way to get to Lily, he grabbed hold of her tightly and placed his hand over her mouth so she wouldn't scream and attract Flitch's attention them.  
  
"Hi." Nissa said smiling at Remus who was on top of her.  
  
"I...erm... I'm sorry..." Remus stammered, and tried to get off of her but she grabbed hold of him to stop him. He saw something it had only been there a moment but he had seen it, pain, pleading for him to notice.  
  
"Damn door!" Flitch was shouting as he tried to pull open the door, but it wasn't bugging. "I'm sure that I heard them in there."  
  
None of the spoke or even moved for a couple of minutes. Remus was getting, well he wasn't sure what, but her grip was getting tighter and her nails and seemed to have grown and was digging into him.  
  
"Get off of me." Lily told James pushing him off of her. "What are you doing here, at this time of night?"  
  
James tried to quickly of an answer, and then realised something. "What are you doing out at this time of night?"  
  
"Well." Lily answered.  
  
"That would be because of me." Nissa said as she looked Remus straight in the eyes. "Wanted needed to howl at the coming moon, then realised that it wasn't yet full."  
  
Remus lost his balance and fell on top her blushing brightly but she only smiled at him as though she didn't care, there was something different about her, that feeling again it was coming off of her, what was going on?  
  
"Come on Remus, even I haven't gotten that close to her yet." Sirius joked as he pulled him to his feet, and then smiled at Nissa. He gave her his hand and she took it, she pulled he almost fell tight onto her if Remus hadn't have grabbed hold of his arm.  
  
Sirius grinned wildly at her as she got to his feet and wrapped her arms around his and pulled him close, and then she looked over at Remus who was still looking at them both.  
  
"Sorry Remus, I was posting a letter." She told him brightly.  
  
"At this time of night?" Sirius asked  
  
"Infidus." Nissa answered tightening her grip.  
  
Sparks flew out of the end of Sirius' wand setting the table in front of them on fire.  
  
"What did you do that for?" Lily demanded.  
  
Nissa though placed her hand over the fire and flexed it like a claw all the time not taking her eyes off Sirius and bit her lip as the fire started to dissolve into nothing.  
  
"How did you do that?" Remus asked getting his voice back finally.  
  
"Magic." Nissa answered as she licked her blooded lip.  
  
"Funny." Sirius said as he wiped the blood with his sleeve.  
  
Wild thoughts were coursing though her mind as he touched her lip softly.  
  
"Well this is fun isn't it, all of us being out together?" James said.  
  
"I'm not with you." Lily told him firmly.  
  
"Not yet maybe, one day." James reassured her smiling.  
  
Lily ignored him and looked at Nissa, who was still severing Sirius with great interest, not unlike an animal. Remus was quit surprised by her behaviour and noticed that Sirius didn't seem to care but was quit enjoying himself.  
  
"We'll go back with you, if you want to go back." James told Lily, who hadn't noticed how strange Nissa was behaving.  
  
"We can find our own way thank you." Lily told him as nicely as she could.  
  
"Come one Lil's we're all going to the same place." James said  
  
Nissa suddenly looked at the window a wild thought floated through her mind, (which if she was herself she would have never suggested but she wasn't so she did.)  
  
"I've got a brilliant idea." Nissa said, but as soon as the words had come out of her mouth reason seemed to get a hold over her, well a lose hold anyway. "It doesn't matter."  
  
"Of course." Sirius said, he and James trying not to laugh.  
  
"Don't laugh at me." Nissa shot at them both not at all happy her eyes flashing dangerously as she let go of Sirius. She suddenly grabbed hold of Remus who was trying to get to Sirius but not to close to her. "Remus isn't laughing at me. Maybe he's the only nice guy out of the lot of you."  
  
Sirius smiled at him as Remus blushed in her grip and by her statement.  
  
"But you don't like nice guys." Sirius told her smiling.  
  
"How do you know what I like and what I don't?" Nissa shot at him, holding onto Remus even tighter.  
  
"Well it looks like Sirius had a bit of competition on his hands." James joked.  
  
Nissa's hair flash fiery red and then changed to a blue grey colour, which remember Remus of a wolf's coat.  
  
"Yeah right, next she'll be saying she likes Peter." Sirius laughed and then added to Remus. "No offence mate."  
  
Nissa seemed to lose it. "I don't think so, that weak spineless rat." Nissa spat at him.  
  
They all looked at one another and then at her.  
  
"Are you alright?" Lily asked.  
  
Nissa didn't answer as Sirius and James stepped forward, she pushed Remus behind her.  
  
"Nissa." Sirius said as he reached out a hand, but quickly pulled it back as she tried to bite it. "Okay."  
  
James and Lily both pulled out their wands as Peter sunk back into the shadows out of the way. Remus could feel her pain it was coming off her in waves drowning him, he didn't want to hurt her, neither did Sirius.  
  
"Be gentle, on three." Sirius told them, as Nissa looked at him. But it wasn't her, well not anything he had ever seen before anyway. "One...Two...Three."  
  
Both Lily and James went for her, but she jumped up onto the table and landed like a cat. Sirius jumped up after her and grabbed hold of her before she could stop him, she pulled at his hands and fall to the floor.  
  
Sirius landed hard on his back, and tried to grab hold of her hands, and tried to get on top of her to pin her down. But she wasn't herself it was as though a wild animal was fighting get free, and tire him to pieces for stopping her.  
  
"Look at her hand." Lily said suddenly. "That cut. I didn't realise how bad it was."  
  
"What...do...you...mean?" Sirius asked as he struggled to keep control of her, they rolled around on the ground knocking the tables over, Sirius realised she was a lot stronger then she looked; if things were different it could have been... but then he realised that he had to focus.  
  
"When she opened the letter from Infidus, she cut herself and this sort of blood thing came out as well." Lily answered quickly.  
  
Remus smelled the air he smelt her, it was, why hadn't he picked up on it before? Remus wanted to say something but he knew he couldn't not in front of Lily, he just hoped that one of them would pick up on it.  
  
"That's it then." James said. "We'll have to tie her up, so we can get her up to the hospital wing."  
  
"What like an animal?" Remus asked.  
  
"Well that's what she's acting like, isn't she?" Lily said.  
  
Both James and Sirius understand why Remus didn't want this, and that Lily had hurt him in away she didn't know. Sirius' attention slipped for just a moment, but it was a moment to long, she slashed at his face making him shouted out in shocked pain. Lily screamed and grabbed hold of James' arm and braved her face.  
  
Blood ran down his face as he tried to control her, she was stronger then he was, but he still didn't want to tie her up. (She was stronger Sirius thought because she knew that he wouldn't hurt her.)  
  
Then they heard the voice:-  
  
I'm dying praying bleeding and screaming  
  
Am I too lost to be saved  
  
Am I too lost?  
  
Sirius closed his eyes he couldn't look at her; he could have broken down then and there and cried as he felt her pain.  
  
"Where did that voice come from?" Lily asked as she lifted her head, but still held onto James who held her hand.  
  
Sirius opened his eyes and looked up slightly at her. "You heard that?"  
  
"Of course we did." Lily answered just before they heard it again.  
  
Do you remember me  
  
Lost for so long  
  
Will you be on the other side  
  
Or will you forget me  
  
I lay dying  
  
My wounds cry for the grave  
  
I tired to kill the pain  
  
But only want more  
  
I'm dying praying bleeding and screaming  
  
Am I too lost to be found  
  
Am I too lost?  
  
Sirius let go of her and stopped fighting against her.  
  
"What are you doing?" Lily and James demand.  
  
Nissa still fought, but it wasn't him who she was fighting, he could see the horror and pain in her eyes and faces, it was unbearable. He got off of her and gentle scooped her up and stood slowly, Remus looked down at her as he came over to her for the first time, his presents she to settle her slightly as did being in Sirius' arms; as though she knew that they wouldn't let anyone hurt her and they wouldn't.  
  
James went quickly over to the door with Lily, she had forgotten that she still had hold of him, and so had he. As they slowly made their way up to the hospital wing Lily remembered something.  
  
"The letter, some of what she said, or that voice what it her voice?" Lily said.  
  
"Yes." Sirius answered, but no one questioned him on how he knew or anything.  
  
"Well some of what she said had been written in the letter." Lily told them. "Do you think that Infidus did this on purpose?"  
  
"Yes." Sirius answered again, and again none of them questioned him.  
  
When they finally reached the hospital wing, which felt like hours later they stopped as if not wanting to in. Nissa had settled somewhat on the way up, Sirius didn't want to put her down encase she started again, but he knew that he couldn't hold her for much longer. Remus wouldn't touch her he didn't trust himself, the monster within himself if he got to near to her.  
  
"Should we all go in?" Lily asked finally.  
  
"Yeah." James said. "We'll tell her that Nissa wasn't well and you came to get us for help."  
  
Lily nodded, and realised for the first time that she had hold of him, and realised that it was kind of nice safe and secure in a way, but she still let go of him, because she didn't like him or did she?  
  
Remus went first he opened the door for them, Sirius went through with Nissa and then James took the door so that Remus could get Madam Pomfery, as Sirius laid her down on the nearest bed but she didn't want to let go.  
  
Madam Pomfery came running out of her office closely followed by Remus; she stayed by Nissa's bed for hours. She had sent them all away telling them that it best that they go back to bed and try and get some sleep, which they all thought was stupid how could any of the sleep after what had happened.  
  
Professor McGonagall came to see them all the following morning.  
  
"I want to see her." Sirius shouted at her.  
  
"I'm afraid that you can't Mr Black." McGonagall told him.  
  
"Why the hell not?" Sirius demanded.  
  
McGonagall was quit patient with him, she knew that they would be all up set. But he was pushing her.  
  
"Can we go up later?" Lily asked calmer.  
  
"I think it best if you don't, she isn't really well herself." McGonagall said kindly.  
  
"I don't care what you think is best, I saw her. I want to see her!" Sirius shouted.  
  
"Mr Black, I understand..." McGonagall started.  
  
"How the hell could you!" Sirius shouted. "You've probably got her tied up like an animal, that'll make her worst. You're not helping her."  
  
Remus couldn't look at them, his monster was screaming at him so loudly it was killing him, and with Sirius as well, the pain was just too much. He wasn't looking forward tonight, he never did, but he knew tonight was going to be worst.  
  
The teacher had been told that Nissa was up in the hospital wing, but the other student's hadn't and they all came up with there own idea's. Some thought that the Slytherin's had poisoned her so that she wouldn't play in the final; some thought that Michael could have done something because he was still sore about her dumping him, (because they all knew that it had been her and not him.)  
  
Sirius though landed himself detention with Jevidah by spilling his potion all over him, covering him with boils.  
  
Sirius didn't want Remus to go when he told them; it was as though everyone was leaving him. He lay awake in bed, he could hear screaming in pain, he could also hear something else, but didn't know what it was because he had never heard the sound before; but what ever it was it cut through like a knife. He wished that he couldn't hear her; it made it so much worst not being there like he knew he should.  
  
The weekend was the worst when they had all that free time to just think, nor technical they were suppose to be studying for there exams which would start on Monday; Remus would be back Sirius was glad and wished that he would come back sooner as if he did so would Nissa.  
  
She missed all of her exams, though she had come back from her nightmare the night after the last full moon. But they kept her up in the hospital wing to just make sure, which she didn't want to; because she would miss the final as well.  
  
Nissa woke up to find that there was a head resting on her hand, she wondered how she hadn't realised sooner. She looked down at him, she already knew who it was even without seeing his face, she could sense him a mile away. She was very surprised that it was him though who was there.  
  
"Remus." Nissa said softly.  
  
Remus woke up suddenly, he looked quit tiered, she smiled at him and he smiled back.  
  
"No one knows what it was what effected you, what made you act the way you did." Remus told her. "And I won't say anything."  
  
"Thank you." Nissa said with a small smile.  
  
Nissa walked into the great hall for breakfast with Remus, it was quit empty, most had already finished and left by the time they had gotten down. Which Nissa was quit glad of of course, she didn't fancy them all looking and whispering about her right in front of her.  
  
They walked up Gryffindor table, they were all sat there as if waiting for them, but they hadn't even known that she was coming down; yes they knew that she was alright but they still hadn't been aloud to go up and see her.  
  
Sirius turned around when he saw Lily smiling at someone behind him, and he stood up and walked her carefully to her next to him.  
  
"Someone should have said something, I would have come up." Sirius told her as they sat down. "Why didn't you tell me Remus?"  
  
Remus smiled slightly. "I didn't think she would want a big fuse."  
  
"Well I'm just glad that you're alright." Sirius told her.  
  
Nissa smiled slightly at him and moved a little away from him, as though being so close to people was to much for her, even though she had wanted to come down; but it was different now that she was.  
  
Remus saw the look he knew it well because it was in him as well, as though your heart just wanted to close its doors and never let anyone in encase, they did get pass and you had to feel, to care, to love; it was the greatest risk.  
  
"We were worried." Lily told her. "You missed all the exam's."  
  
"And the final, don't worry we still won." James informed her. "But we would have done so much better if you would have played, we only won because I caught the snitch. Oh Snape turned Michael into a dung beetle, he seemed to be quit a bit of pain."  
  
"Severs him right after what he was saying." Siirus said.  
  
"Not that we Snape." James quickly added.  
  
"But your better now right?" Ella asked her.  
  
"Yeah." Nissa answered as normal as she could.  
  
Nissa spent the rest of the week avoiding spending time alone with Sirius, who didn't understand and was getting quit irritated with it all; but Remus reassured him that she would be alright he just need to give her time.  
  
(The words used in the letter, and the voice of Nissa were from the song Tourniquet by 'Evanescence' off the album 'Fallen'.)  
  
Tourniquet  
  
I tired to kill the pain  
  
But only want more  
  
I lay dying  
  
And I'm pouring crimson regret and betrayal  
  
I'm dying praying bleeding and screaming  
  
Am I too lost to be saved  
  
Am I too lost?  
  
My god my tourniquet  
  
Return to me salvation  
  
My god my tourniquet  
  
Return to me salvation  
  
Do you remember me  
  
Lost for so long  
  
Will you be on the other side  
  
Or will you forget me  
  
I'm dying praying bleeding and screaming  
  
Am I too lost to be saved Am I too lost?  
  
My god my tourniquet  
  
Return to me salvation  
  
My god my tourniquet  
  
Return to me salvation  
  
My wounds cry for the grave  
  
My soul cries for deliverance  
  
Will I be denied Christ  
  
Tourniquet  
  
My suicide 


End file.
